Experience & Explore Flavour Mapping

Key to some basic tasting and pairing concepts, to help understand how to pair wine with cultural cuisines

Welcome to a culinary journey through the vibrant and diverse flavours of various cultural cuisines. This flavour profile aims to capture the essence of each culture's rich and eclectic gastronomy, enticing your palate with a symphony of assorted tastes.

Wine & Food Interaction: A Tasting Guideline Chart

As a general rule of thumb the wine should be sweeter than the food. If not, the food may come across as tart or potentially bitter. In addition to the main flavour profiles of the cuisines, it is also important to consider the strength of these flavour elements in order to adjust the wine selection accordingly. Wine & food pairing is all about exploration and discovery as everyone tastes differently, so what may work with someone else may not work with your sensory taste buds. Also start to think about if you’re looking to pair based on complimentary or contrasting flavours.

Please note that this chart is to provide a starting point as wine examples can vary in certain characteristics depending on the region they’re from and how they are made. Use this as your guide to experiment with your particular flavour preferences.

Food flavours

Pairs well with
Bitter food flavours pair well with:
- Light or Medium Bodied Wines with Vibrant Acidity (ex: Sauvignon Blanc)
- Low Tannin Red Wines (ex: Gamay)
- Off-Dry or Wines with Residual Sugar (ex: Chenin Blanc)
Less favourable wine pairings
- Tannic or Bitter Wines as they enhance the bitter flavours (ex: Cabernet Sauvignon)
Pairs well with
Acidic/Sour food flavours pair well with:
- Wines with Higher or Well-Balanced Acidity (ex: Albarino, Sangiovese (Chianti) )
- Low Tannin Red Wines (ex: Gamay)
Less favourable wine pairings
- Wines with Low or Lower Acidity as the wine will seem flat and flabby (ex: Gewurztraminer)
Pairs well with
Spicy food flavours pair well with:
- Off-Dry or Wines with Residual Sugar (ex: Riesling)
- Fruity, Light-Bodied and Low Alcohol Wines (ex: Moscato)
- Low Tannin Red Wine (ex: Pinot Noir)
Less favourable wine pairings
- Dry, Tannic and High Alcohol Wines as they enhance the heat from the food and provide a bitter taste (ex: Shiraz)
Pairs well with
Sweet food flavours pair well with:
- Sweet or Wines with Residual Sugar (ex: Port Wine)
- Wines with Well-Balanced Acidity (ex: Ice Wine)
Less favourable wine pairings
- Dry Wines as the wine seems less fruity and unpleasant (ex: Sauvignon Blanc)
Pairs well with
Salty food flavours pair well with:
- White Wines with High Acidity and Sparkling Wines (ex: Pinot Grigio)
- Light to Medium-Bodied Red Wines with Vibrant Acidity (ex: Pinot Noir)
Less favourable wine pairings
- Wines with Low Acidity as wines will seem dull as salt decreases the perception of acidity (ex: Gewurztraminer)