Tannins, a preservative, add firmness and weight to wine and direct its use to heavier food groups. As lighter wines are typically served before fuller bodied wines, later courses should correspondingly increase in weight. The density of the food is the primary consideration in matching to red or white wines. Food flavors then allow the closure to a final match. The differences between wines in a single varietal may be immense and should cause consideration between individual winemakers or vineyards.
Burgundian vineyards yield wines of immense richness built on layers of pear, honeycomb and almonds.
A California chardonnay may have the rich vanilla and toast nose followed by exotic pineapple, mango or apricot. We are not even touching on the ways individuals treat their wines after harvest. Drier wines served before sweet wines have greater ranges to support food matches. Off-dry wines such as those made from riesling or chenin blanc support food matches because of the sweetness or saltiness inherent in many foods. Alternately, a sweet wine can cause difficulty with matches because their sugar content tends to mask lighter and more delicate flavors.