Matching Water with Food

Mouthfeel is the most important of the factors guiding the way bottled water is matched with food. Mineral content and acidity play more minor roles.

MATCHING WITH MOUTHFEEL
Use the FineWaters Balance to establish a progression in multiplecourse meals and to match or contrast the water with the mouthfeelof the dish. One of the prime joys of matching water and food—and one of the true marks of water connoisseurship is changing waters for each course, developing a progression of waters to guide you
through the meal. Drinking a different water for each course highlights their subtle differences, and the progression adds enormously to the dining experience. If your favorite restaurant does
not offer more than one water, ask them to consider adding more options. For a five-course dinner, a good water progression might looklike this:

• Hors d’oeuvre: Bold or Classic. This is much like having a taste of champagne - it draws attention and is bubbly and loud.
• Salad: Effervescent. A nice contrast with the previous water but not entirely without bubbles.
• First course (light seafood, for example): Still. You’ll notice the absence of bubbles and focus on the water.
• Second course (poultry, for example): Effervescent or Light. Reintroduce some mouthfeel and match the water with the texture of the course.
• Main course (red meat, for example): Light or Classic. Match it with the texture of the course.
• Dessert: Still or Effervescent.

Try these simple examples to elevate drinking water to an experience. To go further, consider the principles of complement and contrast. Sometimes contrasting the texture of the food allows for enhanced pleasures. Raw oysters come to mind: These would go perfectly well with a Still water but might be more enjoyable with a Light sparkling water, which would provide additional sensation in the mouth. The same rule applies to fusion sushi or sashimi dishes, especially when they have some spiciness.

A spicy tuna tartar is another good example of a food that asks for a contrasting Light to Classic water. Other foods that do well with contrasting waters are hot and spicy foods, desserts, sweets, and cheeses. Many dishes can benefit from a water contrast - I encourage you to experiment and find new sensations.