It’s that time of year again when one’s social calendar is filled to the brim: if it’s not a work function, it’s a celebratory dinner with friends at your favourite swanky restaurant or a simple family meal at the pizza joint down the road. Suffice it to say, it is the time to be merry – very merry.

We all know about food and wine matches, and which wines tend to compliment (or ruin) which dishes. Have you ever thought about what water can do to enhance your choice of wine? I, for one, had never thought the choice of sparkling or still water could have any impact on the appreciation of wine. But I was to be proved wrong.

During my trip to Italy courtesy of San Pellegrino in July this year, one of the last things on the agenda was a water and wine tasting. From tap water to still Acqua Panna and on to sparkling San Pellegrino, each water added a different aspect to the wine at hand. An interesting factor is the amount of minerals contained in a specific water.

So if you want to add an extra element to your dining fun, why not try this at home?

Some good pointers are:

Fresh and fruity white wines are good with Acqua Panna as are whites that have been aged in wood barrels. As for rosé wines, those with lighter alcohol will go well with Acqua Panna, while a higher alcohol content can stand up to San Pellegrino’s heavier mineral content.

Sparkling wines and champagnes do well with Acqua Panna so that the elegant flavours of the wines can be appreciated to the full.

Red wines – from young and fruity wines to full-bodied mature reds – go well with San Pellegrino, as the presence of tannins makes it sit well with this robustly sparkling water.

If you’re not eating or enjoying a particularly special vintage, opt for Acqua Panna so as to minimise interference with the rich taste of the wine.

In the end it’s all about experimenting, trying new combinations and seeing what you prefer. Do try it out for yourself – you’ll be amazed at what your palate picks up.

Lisa van Aswegen

Source: The San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna Water Codex