MS Theory — Food and Wine Pairing

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Food and wine pairing is both the most creative and the most technically grounded discipline in the sommelier's professional toolkit. At the Master Sommelier level, pairing is not a matter of rules or traditions ('white wine with fish') but an understanding of the chemical and structural interactions between food components and wine components. The MS examiner expects candidates to explain WHY a pairing works — which specific elements of the food are engaged by which specific elements of the wine — not simply state that a pairing is traditional. The five pairing types established by professional sommelier education (complement, contrast, bridge, cleanse, elevate) provide a logical framework for generating and evaluating pairings. Equally important is understanding WHY certain classic pairings succeed (Chablis with oysters — shared saline mineral; Sancerre with goat cheese — shared Loire terroir and acidity; Sauternes with foie gras — sweetness matching fat richness) and WHY certain food components create specific wine difficulties (artichoke, asparagus, chocolate, chilli heat, egg yolk).

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