Pairing principles

Stacey Palmer

Principle-driven essayist on the why behind every pairing.

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Written by Stacey Palmer

Recent articles

Jun 22, 2026

When the Rains Arrive: Pairing Hot Tea, Coffee, and Ice Cream Through a Wet Summer

Monsoon season rewrites the rules of summer drinking. Here is the pairing logic behind hot tea, strong coffee, and a scoop of ice cream when the sky opens up.

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Jun 8, 2026

Drinking Well Without Wine: A Summer Pairing Guide for Pregnancy

Pregnant this summer? You don't have to surrender the pleasure of a thoughtful pairing. Here's how acid, bitterness, and tannin work in the glass, no alcohol required.

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May 31, 2026

Wine with Soft-Shell Crab: A Summer Pairing Worth Mastering

Soft-shell crab season is brief and brilliant. Here's how to choose a wine that matches its delicacy, its char, and the brown butter underneath.

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May 23, 2026

Why Cabernet Sauvignon loves a charred steak

Three structural facts about tannin, protein, and fat explain why this pairing has held for two centuries.

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Feb 26, 2026

Three principles for pairing wine with food

Forget the long lists. Three ideas explain almost every successful pairing — and every failed one.

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Feb 19, 2026

Salt and acid: wine pairing's underrated tools

Most pairing guides obsess over flavor matching. The real work is being done by salt and acid, every time.

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Feb 12, 2026

When the textbook pairing fails: matching wine to mood

The technically perfect pairing isn't always the right one. Sometimes you want the wine that fits the moment.

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Feb 5, 2026

The case for red wine with fish (yes, really)

The old rule was made for cod and chablis. Modern menus have moved on.

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Jan 29, 2026

How to read a wine list with confidence

Three questions to ask yourself before the sommelier reaches the table. Forty seconds, maximum.

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