When I pair food and wine, I start with the food. If I have a beautiful roasted bird, I might choose a Cabernet or Pinot Noir, or maybe a Syrah, depending on the sauce and what is in my cellar.

Pépin frames wine pairing as a culinary decision led by the dish rather than by the bottle. The “start with the food” principle reflects a chef’s priorities: flavor, texture, and sauce structure determine what will harmonize at the table. His examples—Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Syrah—signal flexible matching within a family of reds, with the final choice shaped by the sauce (acidity, sweetness, richness, spice) and by practical realities (“what is in my cellar”). The quote thus balances expertise with everyday pragmatism, suggesting that good pairing is less about rigid rules and more about attentive cooking, context, and available resources.