email this pageQ. Lately, I keep hearing about "food-friendly" wines. What exactly do they mean by that?
A. Food friendly refers to wines that pair well with many different dishes. They aren't necessarily "better" than other wines—it's just that it's easy to find foods that taste good with them.
One thing most food-friendly wines have in common is balance—in general, they're not extremely tannic, high in alcohol, super sweet, overly acidic or aggressively powerful. An excess of any of these characteristics usually requires a specific sort of pairing for both the wine and food to shine, and for neither to dominate. For instance, a highly tannic, young Cabernet Sauvignon can taste delectable with rare steak because this particular type of meat tends to soften the tannin's drying effect on your mouth. But match that same intense wine with other meats such as roast pork and lamb, and chances are the wine will obliterate the food's flavor and subtlety.
Because they are often at their best when served alongside local cuisines, European wines have long been considered the gold standard among food-friendly wines. To taste this for yourself, try popular wines such as Chianti, Valpolicella, Côtes du Rhône, and red or white Burgundy alongside your favorite Italian and French recipes.
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