If you’re looking for the latest wine and food pairing trends, you’ve come to the right place. From Umami to Sustainability to Hard seltzer, here are a few foods and wine pairing trends that’ll make your mouth water. Read on to learn more. Here are some directions for this year:
Plant-based Foods
When pairing food with wine, a plant-based diet often works well. After all, wine has flavors similar to those of animal meat, and plant-based foods can mimic these flavors. To make the process easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of wine pairings for plant-based dishes. You’ll also find a list of plant-based recipes.
Many vegan recipes already feature nutrient-dense combinations, so you won’t have difficulty figuring out the best combination. You can also explore other food pairings for maximum benefits. For example, consider pairing your meal with a glass of red wine if you’re a big fan of red wine. This combination will help maximize the benefits of the fruit and vegetable you eat.
Umami
A delicious way to enhance the umami flavor of any dish is to pair it with a bottle of fine wine. Wines are rich in umami flavors, and the amino acids found in grape skins form a natural bond with umami acids. These acids are located in all areas of the tongue, so combining them with specific foods will give your meal a palate-coating effect and enhance the overall taste of the food.
Some foods naturally have high umami levels, including tomatoes and beef. You can increase your umami levels with ingredients like Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, oyster/fish sauce, and marmite. Other foods naturally contain high amounts of umami, including aged beef, abalone, scallop, shrimp, and tomatoes. You can also add anchovies and discover more here to braised dishes, which enhances the umami effect.
Sustainability
Sustainable foods and wines are now readily available. Just a decade ago, most wine shops would not have organic grapes on hand. And while supermarkets still don’t carry wines made using nature-minded methods, there are ways to drink more wine while reducing your environmental impact. For example, many states now offer wines produced locally without the environmental and energy costs associated with shipping. Here is a guide to green wines to help you make informed choices when shopping for wine.
A decade ago, Earth Day focused on personal environmental change. Today, we’ve seen this change in everything from our everyday purchases to how we make food. Even major grocery stores now offer organic and vegan options. The trend has spread to winemaking, with grape growing and winemaking transforming more sustainable practices. In 2013, one branded wine company chose to make their wines organic and vegan and partnered with a nonprofit organization to empower women in Kosovo.
Hard Seltzer
Instacart, a grocery delivery and pick-up service that operates on a mobile app, says that hard seltzer is a popular new drink. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the trend of drinking more alcohol and choosing healthier options. As a result, hard seltzers are projected to reach over $4 billion in sales by 2028, according to a new report from Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC).
While Provi has dominated the market, smaller brands have carved out a niche. Mighty Swell is one of those brands, with its Spiked Seltzer Tropic Pack. It comes in Mango, Raspberry, Grapefruit, and Blood Orange flavors. These have about 2.5% juice and only three grams of total sugar. But despite its health benefits, hard seltzer is a trend that may not catch on quickly in Central Europe.
Potato Milk
According to the latest food and beverage industry trends, consumers will increasingly enjoy paired foods and drinks in small groups. Whether it’s an appetizer or a full-on meal, food and drink pairings can add to the overall experience. Fortunately, there are some critical differences between the two, so here are some ways to ensure your dining experience is as delicious as possible. First, learn about the various flavors and types of alcohol.
The latest trends in food and beverage pairings are based on the popularity of simple, single-note flavors. For instance, Amari-based cocktails and spritzes are increasingly popular for reducing alcohol intake and alternating boozier drinks. Similarly, canned cocktails are catching up to the future’s low-calorie, low-ABV hard seltzers. In addition, plant-based ingredients like sunflower-seed butter and oat milk make a big splash on the ice cream scene. You can even find fermented flavors at Hudson’s Culture Cream.