The Direct Effects of Wine and Cheese Characteristics on Perceived Match

Abstract

This study considers the direct impact of food and wine elements on the level of perceived food and wine match using a trained sensory panel. Following a hierarchical relationship of components, texture, and flavor characteristics, regression was used to test the impact of five wine elements present in six wine varietals on the level of match for four different cheeses. The overall level of sweetness in wine impacted the perceived match across all cheeses. Additional relationships varied by cheese type while significant relationships were shown for wine sweetness level and the overall body of the wine. Tests on the impact of five food elements present in four cheese types ran against the level of match for the six wines were nonsignificant in the overall test but varied by wine type. Significant relationships were shown for cheese sweetness level, spiciness level, and the overall body of the cheese. Implications of these findings and suggested future research are provided.

Key Words:

• Perceived match
• wine and food pairing
• components
• texture
• flavors
• wine and food characteristics