How the cooking method can affect the wine you pick
When meat, chicken, fish and seafood are browned via broiling, grilling, BBQ, and roasting, the juices in these foods are caramelized. Connect these caramel flavors with the caramel, vanilla, toasty flavors of oaked wines.

Oaked whites include: Chardonnay, Fume Blanc and white Bordeaux

Oaked reds include: Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Syrah

When foods are eaten raw (e.g. oysters, clams) or when food is steamed or poached in water (shrimp, fish, chicken) no extra flavors are added. That's when you should reach for unoaked wines.

Unoaked whites include: Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre, Pouilly Fume Muscadet, Chablis, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, etc.

Lightly oaked reds include: Barbera from Italy, Shiraz from Australia, Beaujolais Village or cru Beaujolais, Chinon and St Nicholas de Bourgeouil from France.

However, the bottom line in food in wine pairing is that there are no rules, only preferences.

Enjoy Christine's Tips & Secrets?
Christine's new book, titled "Wine Savvy" is scheduled to be released in 2006 and will feature 75 practical tips to use at home, at restaurants, the wine store and for special occasions.

If you'd like to be notified once this book becomes available in stores, please join Christine's mailing list here.

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