Pairing Blends with Foods

As we mentioned before, a lot comes down to personal preference. Some people like a lightly smoked flavor and some prefer a heavier smoked flavor.  And then there's people like us, who like them all!  Having said that, we do have some general recommendations.

 

Flavor Profile Spectrum

When pairing different blends with different foods, note where a particular blend falls on the flavor spectrum shown here, and then consider either (1) the characteristics of the food OR (2) your personal preferences.  Either words.

When pairing based on the characteristics of the food:

  • Foods with more delicate flavors  (like seafood) tend to do better with lightly smoky blends
  • Foods with strong flavor profiles (like red meat and pork) can handle the stronger, smokier blends 
When pairing based on your personal preferences:
  • if you like a lightly smoked flavor, start with blends on the light (left) side
  • if you like a strongly smoked flavor, start with blends on the right (smoky) side

If that feels like a little too much thinking and not enough eating...

Here's a chart of our personal recommendations for pairing Wined Up in Smoke with different foods. Use it if you aren't sure where to start.
We tend to eat across the spectrum and experiment a lot, yet we rarely pair the cedar blend with anything other than seafood, cheese and mushrooms.  And we never pair the Italian blend with seafood or mushrooms. In our experimentation, those flavors don't work together. Other than that, we mix freely and enjoy trying out new delicious pairings.

If you still aren't sure, we'd be happy to answer any questions that you have.  Just send us an email at:  info@winedupinsmoke.com