Wine & Cuisine - Your first thought is probably something like "What is this all about?" And then that is more than likely followed by "How is this different from Foods & Wines?" Well, there is no disputing that they are related but they are also quite different. The answer is found in the definitions of 'cuisine' and 'foods' with wine being a common connecting element. So what is the difference?

Cuisine is defined as a style or characteristic manner of food preparation that is associated with a particular entity such as a country, region, culture, restaurant, etc. Foods on the other hand is defined as material, usually of plant or animal origin, that contains or consists of essential body nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals, and is ingested and assimilated by an organism to produce energy, stimulate growth, and maintain life or, in other words, pretty much anything that we eat.

So now you can see that there is a difference between discussing Foods & Wines where the emphasis might be on a single food group such as beef and considering Wine & Cuisine where we might be focusing on Spanish, Jamaican, Tuscan or similar cuisine.

French Cuisine - as the name implies originated in France, developed from centuries of social and political change. In the Middle Ages, French cuisine was renown for its heavy use of spices. In the 17th century, La Varenne and the notable chef of Napoleon and other dignitaries, Marie-Antoine Carême, moved toward fewer spices and more liberal usage of herbs and creamy ingredients, signaling the beginning of modern cuisine. Cheese and wine are a major part of the cuisine, playing different roles regionally and nationally with many variations and appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) (regulated appellation) laws.

French cuisine was codified in the 20th century by Georges Auguste Escoffier to become the modern version of haute cuisine, however Escoffier left out much of the regional culinary character to be found in the regions of France. Gastro-tourism and the Guide Michelin helped to acquaint people with the rich bourgeois and peasant cuisine of the French countryside starting in the 20th century. Gascon cuisine has also had great influence over the cuisine in the southwest of France.

French cuisine lends itself to pairing with wine as much of it was built on the ideas of cooking with wine. The most important thing to remember when planning a meal based on French cuisine is to carefully ensure that the chosen wine compliments the meal and the wine used within it. There is no wine that will not have a place somewhere in French cuisine.

Turkish Cuisine - is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine. The Ottomans fused various culinary traditions of their realm with influences from Middle Eastern cuisines, along with traditional Turkic elements from Central Asia (such as yogurt), creating a vast array of specialities.

Turkish cuisine tends to be strong in the use of herbs and spices. They use a mixture of meats but lamb is a common main ingredient. Because of the regional nature of their cuisine, the pairing of wine also is influenced regionally. Turkish cuisine originating from the Mediterranean region using predominantly seafood calls for white wines while those from the northern regions pair more appropriately with red wine. Whatever wine that you choose for your Turkish styled cuisine, it should be more on the dry side and can even show significant spice and tannins.

Greek Cuisine - is very strongly a Mediterranean style which is influenced by the abundant availability of seafood and vegetables. Greek cuisine has been a strong influence in many country's cuisines over the centuries just as the Greeks themselves heavily influenced the development of the wine industry worldwide also. Greek cuisine is somewhat similar to the Turkish cuisine of the Mediterranean region and some will argue as to which is the original. Greek cuisine is strongly based around olive oil, vegetables and herbs, grains and bread, wine, fish, and various meats, including poultry, rabbit and pork with olives, cheese, aubergine, courgette, and yoghurt being very important components. Greek desserts are typically based on honey and nuts such as is found in baklava.

While it can be said that there is a Greek styled meal to go with just about any wine, the dominance of seafood, poultry and vegetables definitely makes white wine a good pairing with Greek cooking. Just as with Turkish cuisine, you will find that drier whites work best. Having said that, there are certain Greek dishes such as Moussaka which is usually based on lamb that pair nicely with reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon. Perhaps one of the best pairings of wine and Greek cuisine comes with dessert. Due to the heavy reliance on honey and nuts, Greek desserts blend nicely with many wines from the sweet dessert wines to fortifieds and also the lighter medium-sweet whites.

British Cuisine - is best understood as the traditional cooking style and practices associated with the United Kingdom with certain regional unique specialties such as haggis in Scotland. British cuisine is notably "straightforward, not complex, dishes made with quality local ingredients, matched with simple sauces to accentuate flavor, rather than disguise it. British cuisine took much from the influences of the invading Romans and its interaction with the French and other countries of Europe. However, through all that, like most things British, it retained its own distinctive style. Some classify that this is unimaginative, heavy, greasy, unhealthy and even tasteless. However much of this criticism is inspired by those people being indoctrinated with the need for rich strong flavors and extreme sweetness.

While many think only of traditional items such as the full breakfast, Christmas dinner, fish and chips and the meat pie when it comes to British foods, there is so much more to their cuisine. For instance, there was the early influence of Celtic agriculture and animal breeding that produced a wide variety of foodstuffs for indigenous Celts and Britons; Anglo-Saxon England developed meat and savory herb stewing techniques before the practice became common in Europe; the Norman conquest introduced exotic spices into England in the Middle Ages; Britains expansion into the West Indies and India enabled them to include aspects of these cuisines and make them their own too. In reality, British cuisine is a blend of all of the above and while still evolving through immigration, retains it centuries-old, traditional style without compromise.

British dishes include fish and chips, the Sunday roast, steak and kidney pie, and bangers and mash. British cuisine has several national and regional varieties, including English, Scottish and Welsh cuisine, which each have developed their own regional or local dishes, many of which are geographically indicated foods such as Cheshire cheese, the Yorkshire pudding, Arbroath Smokie, and Welsh cakes.

When it comes to wine pairing with British Cuisine, it is very much governed by the more traditional ideas of matching the wine with the main ingredient. The British themselves tend to favor a slightly sweet wine rather than the dry varieties. However, choosing your wine for your traditional British meal should reflect your personal taste as well as an understanding of traditional pairing such as reds with red meat, whites with seafood, etc. You may find it useful to refer to our chart on Wine Pairings in this regard.

Among the multitude of recipes that make up the varied cuisine of Spain, a few can be considered common to all or almost all of Spain's regions. The most important of these are potato omelette ("tortilla de patata", "tortilla española" or just "tortilla"), paella, various stews, migas, sausages (such as embutidos, chorizo, and morcilla), jamón serrano, and cheeses. There are also many dishes based on beans (chickpeas, lentils, green beans). Spanish desserts and cakes tend to be less regionally influenced and include: flan, custard, rice pudding (arroz con leche), torrijas, churros, and madeleines.

Spanish cuisine with its heavy influence of seafood and fresh vegetables, lends itself to the use of gentler red wines and most white wines. The Spanish also have a strong history with fortifieds especially sherry. You will find that Spanish food compliments fortifieds very well. When choosing a wine to serve with your Spanish cuisine, be sure that it does not over-power the flavors of the meal. Remember that traditionally, Spanish cuisine is seen to be very helahty and this should influence also your choice of wine.

German Cuisine - has evolved as the centuries like most country's cuisines. Germanic cuisine shares its style and influence with countries such as Austria, Switzerland and Belgium. The German populus are big meat eaters (the average person in Germany will consume 140lbs of meat each year) so it is not surprising that their cuisine is strongly embedded with the various meats. Pork is the most popular meat in this cuisine but they are also partial to beef, chicken, boar, rabbit, venison, duck, goose, turkey, lamb and goat. German cuisine will always include a good array and use of traditional vegetables such as carrots, turnips, spinach, peas, beans, broccoli and the many types of cabbage.

Unlike many cuisines, German meals are rarely hot and spicy but instead are usually considered rich, often because of the cooking method used - meat is usually pot-roasted in a slow cooking style which enables the flavors of each ingredient to be drawn and blended, enrichening the whole meal. This cooking will use traditional herbs like parsley, thyme, laurel, chives, black pepper (used in small amounts), juniper berries and caraway.

Middle Eastern Cuisine - is the cuisine of a group of countries that are also sometimes referred to as Western Asia. The cuisine of this region commonly includes olives and olive oil, pitas, honey, sesame seeds, sumac, chickpeas, mint and parsley. It was in the Middle East that wheat was first cultivated, later followed by barley, pistachios, figs, pomegranates, dates and other well-known regional ingredients. Fermentation was also discovered here to leaven bread and make beer. As a crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa, this area has long been a hub of food and recipe exchange. During the Persian Empire (ca. 550–330 BC) the foundation was laid for Middle Eastern food when rice, poultry and fruits were incorporated into their diets. Figs, dates and nuts were brought by Arabian warriors to conquered lands, thus incorporating them also into the cuisine.

When it comes to wine and wine pairing, it might be best to look for something else to accompany a Middle Eastern meal. The traditional drinks of this region are coffee and arak which is an unsweetened aniseed flavored, high alcoholic content liquor that is always served with water and ice. While the modern people of this region most definitely include wine with some of their meals, the traditional drinks are still the most commonly used. You may want to follow their tradition or even consider beer with your next Middle Eastern styled meal.

Japanese Cuisine - Japanese history dates back many millennia and so does the evolution of Japanese cuisine. It is not possible for us to delve into each of the periods of Japanese history and its influence on the Japanese cuisine here. However, to put it very simplistically, there was the Jomon period that was defined by a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, followed by the Heian period - an agricultural society that brought rice into the cuisine along with fish, wild fowl and vegetables and desserts that included nuts and stone fruits. This period also introduced some of the Buddhist influences from China into the cuisine. However, they became more notable during the Kamakura period. During the Kamakura period, there was a very distinct shift towards vegetarian cuisine.

Japanese cuisine today not only refers to the foods themselves but also to the manner in which they are cooked and served as well as how they are eaten. Japanese cuisine is based on combining staple foods typically rice or noodles, with a soup and okazu - dishes made from fish, meat, vegetable, tofu and the like - to add flavor to the staple food. These are typically flavored with dashi, miso, and soy sauce and are usually low in fat and high in salt. A standard Japanese meal will generally consist of several different okazu, a bowl of cooked white Japanese rice, a bowl of soup and some tsukemono (pickles).

Japan, as we know, is an island nation surrounded by ocean. It's people eat primarily seafood. Japanese cuisine is also notable for its sushi and sashimi. Noodles are an essential part of Japanese cuisine usually as an alternative to a rice-based meal. Soba (thin, grayish-brown noodles containing buckwheat flour) and udon (thick wheat noodles) are the main traditional noodles and are served hot or cold with soy-dashi flavorings.

The traditional wine of Japan is Saki or rice wine. This really is the best and probably the only appropriate wine to drink with Japanese cuisine. If this is not your thing, then perhaps you should stick to Jasmine or traditional Japanese teas.

Indian Cuisine - When we think of Indian cuisine, probably the first thing that comes to mind is curry, curry of varying strengths and mostly using a meat of some kind. However, Indian cuisine should actually more aptly be known for its vegetarian style, their magnificent combinations of various spices, herbs and vegetables Indian cuisine is also very regionalized and reflects the diverse ethnicity of the country. Additionally, religious beliefs have had a notable effect on the cuisine. The west of India, being strongly Islamic faith, has brought about a cuisine that includes many meat dishes, while the cuisine of the east of India has largely been influenced by their Hindu beliefs resulting in only vegetarian dishes. Notwithstanding these strong religious influences, Indian cuisine has also been influenced by their interaction with the Mongols and British during and after their occupation. No discussion of Indian cuisine would be complete without mentioning the Spice Trade between India and Europe in the 1800's and the effect this had on the cuisines at both ends of the trade creating what is referred to as Europe's Age of Discovery and also the Colonial period in India history.

Asian Cuisine - is a collective term that is almost too broad in many respects. It includes the cuisines of China, Japan and Korea while almost indirectly including the foods of those South-East Asian countries, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Viet Nam, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. As diverse as these countries are, so is their individual cuisine. However, there are also many common threads between them from the political aspects of being occupied for a time by the British who left their mark to their ancestral connections back through the centuries.

When we think of Asian cuisine, we should be careful to ensure that we are thinking of the various countries food as it would be prepared and served in that country and definitely not the version of it that is served in our own country, especially in most of North America and parts of Europe.

Unfortunately, cultures have tended to modify the real thing to something that better fits in for them. Asian cuisine is usually best described as crisp and clean. The flavors are subtle and the food is geared to a healthier style of cooking using lots of good vegetables, especially greens, that are enhanced with gentle sauces. As for a main ingredient, if it is not vegetable, it is most likely to be chicken or seafood, both of which conform with the overall sense of Asian cooking.

As with Japanese cuisine, wine, except rice wine, does not fit in all that well. However, because of the preponderance of seafood and vegetable, you will find that most white wines except the very sweet ones will pair quite nicely with the majority of Asian ciosine. We should also remember that floral teas are often drunk with meals in many parts of Asia and make a wonderful accompaniment for such delicate cuisine.

Tropical Cuisine - is another collective term used to describe all those mainly fruit enriched meals that you find in the Caribbean, Hawaii, the Bahamas, Fijian Islands and similar hot, tropical countries and regions. Often these regional cuisines have developed as a result of various infiltrations by invaders, pirates and colonization and have therefore taken on some of the cuisine that came with them. However, it all cases, you will also find that there local produce and individual aboriginal heritage has left a significant mark on the cuisine. For the most part, tropical regions are blessed with an abundance of fruits that are native to their climate, pineapple, mango, paw-paw, banana and coconut to name just a few. These fruits when combined with seafood, which tends to be the norm as it too is plentiful, deliver an incredible culinary experience that is healthy, highly nutritious and just oozing with flavor while not leaving you with that over-stuffed feeling that can come from many European and Western culture meals.

When it comes to a beverage to enjoy with such cuisine, there is hardly anything that is more enthusiastically received than a chilled fruit juice or punch. So if you are looking to really deliver the goods when you next serve a tropical cuisine meal, try preparing and serving Sangria with it. As an alternative, you will probably want to stay with white wines that are on the sweeter side.

South American Cuisine - is without a doubt a product of its original Inca and Amazonian native cultures and also its occupation by the peoples of Spain and Portugal centuries ago. The continent is blessed with many plains that provide a rich growing environment for crops and grains while its peninsula shape neatly surrounded by ocean delivers it a wealth of amazingly diversified seafood. The various regional cuisines of South America are based primarily on seafood due to its variety and it being so plentiful. However, lamb and venison which are widely produced are common too. Alpaca and Llama meat are also consumed. South American cuisine tends to follow the style of the nations of the Conquistadors but with a regional influence. The more northern regions that near the Equator will include tropical fruits while the more southern will enjoy traditional vegetables. Their foods are typically quite spicy and hot but are definitely healthy and lower in fat content than their European counterparts.

One of the great things about South American food is its ability to be enjoyed with a wide variety of wine. As with many European cuisines, choose your wine with the main ingredient in mind and take particular note of the spiciness of the particular dish. Also remember the fruit content for those meals prepared in the style of the northern part of the continent.

US Cuisine - Some of you will probably be offended by the image that is portrayed here representing American cuisine. It is not intended to offend but rather to be factual. The United States is a young nation that has developed around an immigrant population with some small amount of influence from its native American Indians. Meals prepared in the United States are a reflection of this immigrant growth. Perhaps the main contribution of the native population has been the consumption of corn. While the United States has most definitely evolved its immigrant population into a race that is decidedly American, it has not developed a real cuisine of its own with the exception of fast food. The US culture is one of fast pace with a focus on the virtues of wealth rather than health of body or mind. This focus has undoubtedly strongly influenced and contributed to the development and growth of the fast food industry as epitomized by McDonald's, Kentucky Fried, Burger King and Starbucks as well as the proliferation of restaurant chains that satisfy the average Americans need to be sure that wherever they go they can be sure to get the same product of the same quality at the same price, even if it really isn't that great tasting or that good for you.

Now we come to another issue, what wine do you pair with this cuisine. Well, frankly, it really becomes a matter of pairing what you like with it but don't waste money on expensive wine to consume with this food. Have what appeals to you and what you think will is the best choice. Literally, even the least expensive wine will taste fine with most of the food offered at these chains and there is no doubt that a beer will taste best with a burger.

Australian Cuisine - well there is an oxymoron for you. Australia suffers like the United States in being a very young nation. However, it suffers in two other ways also. Firstly, Australians have no concept of heritage and the retention of it and secondly, they not only produce more sheep than any other country, save maybe New Zealand, but they also follow the United States in almost everything like sheep or a dog on a leash. This Australian trend very much extends to food as much as it does anything else. Sure, you will hear people talk about the great Aussie barbeque but realistically, you are more likely to see them run down to McDonalds, PizzaHut, KFC or one of the numerous American created fast food chains that now permeate the landscape than frequent the traditional restaurants and eateries on which the country was born.

Now having said that, there are a few things that are Australian if you can find or re-create them. Damper ( a leaven outback style bread) and Vegemite (a nutritious breakfast and sandwich spread) are two of these and they go great together with lashings of butter spread on the hot damper first. As for cuisine, typical traditional Australian fare is that of its colonizers, the British and includes fish and chips, meat pies, sausage rolls, roast dinners, and so on. Australians are traditional hearty red meat eaters too whether it is on from the barbeque, the oven, fry pan or cooked on a stick over an open fire. Lamb and beef are the two most popular. Chicken and seafood are also significant in this culture especially in summer with salad and garden greens. But don't be fooled into thinking that they all "throw the shrimp on the barbie"; this was a tourist gimmick perpetrated by Paul Hogan and the government at the time. Nonetheless, if you do want to create a real Aussie barbeque, then you had best be prepared to include sliced pineapple, potato, tomato, onion along with your steak, chicken breast, beef and pork sausages, bananas and if you must prawns, King or Tiger Prawns of around 10 count.

Australia is blessed with a huge wine industry and most will take advantage of that. However, the Australian wine drinker is not as sophisticated as his European counterpart and will tend to enjoy almost anything with anything. For best results when dining with Australian cuisine, follow the generally accepted guidelines for the pairing of foods and wines.