Why food & wine pairing matters

Every so often, some wine writer - and it generally is a wine writer - will look up from their tasting notes and have a pop at food and wine pairing.

- FIONA BECKETT

At best it’s a frightful bore, at worst, ‘pernicious, pretentious, and preposterous’, as my colleague Alder would have it (in Vinography, 2020). Critics of pairing get curiously worked up about it. Maybe we should call it ‘pairing rage’.

I appreciate that, as a Decanter reader, you may well be less interested in food than wine. Fair enough, but think of your family members and friends who like spending time in the kitchen. My guess is, if they're anything like mine, they're not confident about wine and appreciate a few suggestions of what might go with the dish they've painstakingly cooked.