This review was prepared by Andreas of Delta Kitchen.
*****************************************

Harmony on the Palate: Matching Simple Recipes to Everyday Wine Styles by Shari Darling is organized into 17 chapters, with the first six discussing the science of taste and and principles for pairing wine and food. The next 11 chapters, which constitute the main part of the book, each contain a description of a specific wine style and a collection of recipes which are especially suitable for the respective wine style. The recipes contain both weight and volume measurements. Unfortunately, very few recipes feature a picture of the dish, but there are some graphical elements like a spice jar or a close-up of an ingredient which are sprinkled here or there throughout the book. The pages in the recipe section are divided in 1/3 to 2/3 ratio with the wider section containing the recipes and short descriptions of the taste building blocks of the dish and what wine to choose for it given in the sidebar.

Each chapter starts with a description of a specific wine style and the corresponding grape varieties and regions where it is mainly cultivated. The information in this introduction is a bit repetitive as each chapter states that the taste of the wine depend on the grape variety, the geography, climate and soil conditions of the wine region, and the winemaking techniques employed.

After that comes a chart with food affinities and food challenges for the respective wine style along with recommended methods of preparation, and season which lends itself most easily to the method of preparation. This is not a seasonal cookbook (which it never assumed to be), but there are recipes for every time of the year. As a whole, the book leans in the direction of seafood and grilling the main ingredient.

Harmony on the Palategives guidelines for tasting wine for yourself at your local wine store or wine maker, it doesn't contain a reference of wines. Choosing wine adds a new layer of enjoyment (and logistics) to your cooking, but it is worth the effort. Life's too short for always drinking the house wine at your local restaurant.

I tried the following two recipes with their corresponding wine style:

Greek yoghurt chicken with sparkling wine.

Wild mushroom and barley risotto with a red with forward fruit character.

Both were easy, yummy recipes, which went well with their wine partners.

I had planned to also make the caramelized onion, chèvre and walnut pizza, but got stuck at work, came home late and didn't have the patience to caramelize the onions and toast the walnuts. Instead I used some red onions, tomato paste and the goats cheese, which was really good. If you haven't tried goat cheese on pizza, you should. Soon.

In summary, this is a good, first companion for your first steps into the world of wine.