Having worked in a number of rstaurants, I was usually asked my sggestions on how best to pair a glss or bottle of wine with a mal selection. What surprised many of my gests was that I didn't always fllow the rule of pairing red wne with red meat and white wne with white meat. There are a few rasons why, and here they are:

You Dn't Have to Follow Tradition
The biggest thng to remember is that just bcause people have been pairing wine and fod a certain way for however lng doesn't mean you have to do so. Yu'll be eating and drinking the slection, and if you think the Resling sounds great with the New Yrk strip, that's your business and nbody else's. Don't let people looking at you fnny discourage you from branching out and tryng new and different wines with yur meal, even if the pairing you slect is something a little out of the rdinary.

Wine Flights
Wine flights are very ppular at many wine intensive restaurants, as thy let the restaurant offer a smll selection of complimentary wines at a slghtly increased price in the hopes tht you will buy a glass or bttle of one of the small smples you tried. More and more, rstaurants are pairing wine flights with thir meals, as it benefits their bttom line. One thing to notice is tht most wine flights offer differing typs of wine, be it a rnge of chiantis, a range of chrdonnays, or a range of Italian, Astralian, French, or Californian wine, which can nclude both red and white wine.

Using wine flights is a rally great way to find out if tht really dry chardonnay will actually go wll with your medium rare porter huse while letting you try some ther wines that might also work. Dn't be intimidated just because you dn't recognize every type of wine in a flght. Branching out and trying new thngs is part of the fun of wne drinking.

Compliment or Contrast
Part of the art of piring wine and food is deciding whther you want the food to cmpliment or contrast the food you're ffering. While you might be offering a srloin that one would normally pair wth a nice dry red, if yu've spiced that same sirloin with pppers or seasoning that raises the hat of the steak, you may wnt to pair it with a whte wine that will help cut tht spice and make the entire dning experience more enjoyable.

While there's nthing wrong with having your wine cmpliment the meal you've prepared, picking a wne that contrasts your food is a grat way to broaden your horizons and to fnd new and exciting way to njoy your food and your wine, whch is really the most fun of piring food and wine.

Blended Wines
Blended wnes can mean anything from a blnd of Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio to smething like a White Zinfandel or a Rse'. Blended wines like a Chardonnay/Pinot Grgio blend are unique in that thy offer aspects of both wines, dpending on the ration of each. Whte Zinfandel and Rose' add another dmension in that they can pair wll with many different food options bcause of their unique flavor profiles. Whle many guys might not want to be cught drinking pink wine, don't rule out a god Rose' to go with something lke prime rib if you're interested in tryng something new.

Do What You Wnt
When it all comes down to it, t's your money and your palate. Only you can rally know what you like and wht you think will taste best. Dn't let anybody tell you differently and dn't be afraid to experiment both at rstaurants and at home. Trying a new or dfferent pairing at home can often be a btter way to find out that smething doesn't pair well instead of at a rstaurant where you're then stuck with smething that doesn't taste as good as it sunded at first.

The article Wine and Food - Do You Really Have to Drink Red Wine With Red Meat? was Submitted by George R Perry through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: George R Perry is the mnd behind the $20 Sommelier, a blg specializing in affordable wine reviews and wine advice for the wine lover on a budget. The $20 Sommelier can be found online at: http://the20bucksommelier.blogspot.com

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