Selecting the perfect wine for a certain occasion can be a real challenge. This is especially hard if you are a beginner and have no experience with tasting and pairing. John Jackson, DipWSET is a wine influencer on Instagram (@AttorneySomm) who gives the perfect wine pairings with foods based on his experience in wine tasting and his prestigious level 4 certification from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (“WSET”). He recommends the best wines for every perfect occasion that you can afford and choose for yourself.
John is an accomplished attorney and partner at a top law firm. He began his career as a social media influencer when he developed an interest in wine tasting. He has been attending many dinners and events where he got the opportunity to try out new wines that enriched his taste.
John has visited hundreds of well-known and small wineries in different regions of numerous wine producing countries such as Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Argentina, and the U.S to gain experience and enrich his judgment about the best wines.
John found that many of his friends would send him text messages asking which wines they should order with dinner when they were dining out and realized that many people lack experience in picking out the right wine for the occasion. Consequently, he started his own YouTube channel called Attorney Somm where he posts weekly wine videos, including many videos about wine pairing.
Based on his experience, John Jackson has a number of favorite wine pairings with various popular foods. Here are some of his suggestions for wine pairings:
Burgers with Syrah
The rich, savory, spicy flavors in Syrah are an excellent match for burgers! Syrah is a robust red wine that can stand up to a burger, yet the fat in the burger helps to soften the tannins in the wine.
Spicy Foods (Indian, Thai) with German Riesling
Spicy foods can make wines seem more alcoholic. When pairing spicy foods, it is important to pick a wine that includes some residual sugar or sweetness. John recommends German Rieslings such as Kabinett or Spatlese. These wines are lower in alcohol and have refreshing acidity as well as sweetness that pairs perfectly with spicy foods.
Sushi and Champagne
While sake is an excellent pairing for sushi, Champagne also works extremely well. John has found that Blanc de Blancs Champagne, which is Champagne produced only from Chardonnay, has precise flavors and acidity that work especially well with sushi.
These are just several examples of John’s successful wine and food pairings.
