Unit 5 of 26 · Online wine course

Food and Wine Pairing Course

What to pour with what. 7 lessons · about 54 min

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The 7 lessons

  1. The one rule: match the weight

    If you remember nothing else about pairing, match the weight of the wine to the weight of the food, so that neither one flattens the other.

    You will be able to:

    • explain the one rule behind most wine pairings
    • match light dishes to light wines, rich to fuller
    • judge a wine's weight without naming its flavours
    about 7 min

  2. How food changes the wine in your glass

    Salt, fat, acid, sweetness and chilli each shift how a wine tastes, and knowing which does what turns pairing into something predictable.

    You will be able to:

    • name the five things in food that change wine
    • explain how salt, fat and acid shift a wine's taste
    • match wine to sharp, sweet or spicy dishes
    about 8 min

  3. The pairings that genuinely fight: four clashes to avoid

    Most food and wine get along, but four combinations fight almost every time. Learn why they clash and which wines dodge them.

    You will be able to:

    • name the four food and wine clashes worth avoiding
    • explain why sweet food makes dry wine taste sour
    • choose safer wines for fish, chilli and asparagus
    about 8 min

  4. Cheese and wine: what really works

    Why tannic reds often struggle with cheese, and how crisp whites, bubbles and sweet wines win by balancing salt and fat.

    You will be able to:

    • explain why tannic reds can clash with cheese
    • match fresh, bloomy, hard and blue cheeses to wines
    • build a cheese board around two wines
    about 8 min

  5. Dessert and sweet wines: how to pair them

    Pick a wine at least as sweet as your dessert, match light with light and rich with rich, and let fresh acidity keep it lively.

    You will be able to:

    • choose a wine at least as sweet as dessert
    • match classic desserts with the right sweet wine
    • explain why acidity keeps sweet wines fresh
    about 8 min

  6. Spicy food and wine: how to tame the heat

    Why chilli burns, why alcohol and tannin make it worse, and how off-dry, aromatic, lower-alcohol wines calm the heat and echo the spices.

    You will be able to:

    • explain why alcohol and tannin make chilli burn hotter
    • choose an off-dry or aromatic wine for spicy food
    • match classic spicy dishes to a suitable wine
    about 8 min

  7. Choose the right wine for the moment

    Match the wine to the moment, not just the food: light before a meal, juicy at a barbecue, easy-going at a party, with water and alcohol-free options too.

    You will be able to:

    • choose a light aperitif to start a meal
    • pick wines for a barbecue, picnic or party
    • order a dinner's wines from light to full
    about 7 min

Related reading on Winelingo: What to drink with dinner