Wine and Food Pairing Gone Bitter

There are some wines that you should be very careful about pairing with food. This isn't a personal thing, it's because the food and wine chemistry don't mix.

Artichokes are one of these foods.  They contain cynarin which inhibits your taste receptors and makes foods and drinks seem sweet, even thought they aren't.

I was very surprised at this wine and food pairing that they paired their Chardonnay with Ravioli stuffed with artichokes.  I had tasted the Chardonnay prior to sitting down for lunch.  It was a very nice Chard, hint of oak melon & pearl nicely balanced.  When I had the wine with the Ravioli, it changed the entire taste of the wine, in my mouth it made it bitter.

Why - because of the cynarin.  A better pairing would have been with a Pinot Grigio which they also had in their portfolio.  You really want to stay away from the oak and try to pair it with a very dry white wine with some acidity. The cylnarin that are in artichokes will soften the acidity of the wine.