WINE & FOOD PAIRING

If you've experienced that perfect pairing of wine and food, you know how magical it can be. In this course, you'll learn the strategies used by sommeliers and other experts to maximize the chances of making good or even great pairings. A component tasting will help you learn to identify wine and food interactions as well as your favorite combinations.

Please note that this course requires an understanding of wine evaluation. Before taking it, you should have completed the ABCs of Wine Tasting or Understanding Wine (or another solid introductory course).

Module 1: Weight

What is Body?
Wine Weight Clues
How to Determine Weight in Food
It's All About Balance

Module 2: Components and Interactions

The Five Tastes
Interactions
Hard and Soft Components
More on Balance
How Food Affects Wine

Module 3: A World of Pairing Strategies

Aromas and Flavors
Pairing Power
Herbs and Spices
Pair by Region
Fusion
Texture
Occasion, Effort and Price
Season
The Cheese Plate

Module 4: Food-Friendly Wines and Wine-Friendly Foods

Wines and Foods that Play Nice -- and a Few that Don't
Food-Friendly Wines
Making Foods Wine-Friendly
Pairing Perils
The Cheese Plate

Module 5: Tasting: Wine and Food Components

Learn how components interact and identify your favorite combinations as you taste five wines with seven types of food.

Review and Resources

Quiz with 10 Multiple-Choice Questions

Final Exam with 20 Multiple-Choice Questions

Printable Downloads

Worksheet and Answers

Study Guide Step-by-Step Tasting Guide
Pairing Principles
Tasting Grid
Tasting Mat