What is a High Wine? Everything you need to know

You hear the term more and more often, but what is a High Wine exactly? And what makes it different from a wine tasting or a High Tea? We explain it clearly.

The definition

A High Wine is an arrangement in which several glasses of wine are paired with matching dishes, accompanied by an explanation of each combination. The concept is derived from the English High Tea, but with wine instead of tea and savoury dishes instead of sweet pastries.

It is not only about tasting the wine. It is about the combination: what does this wine do with this dish, and the other way around? That interplay, sometimes harmonious and sometimes deliberately contrasting, is the heart of a good High Wine.

High Wine versus High Tea

At High Tea you drink tea with scones and sweet treats, with conviviality as the main goal. At a High Wine, wine and savoury dishes take centre stage, and every combination has been carefully considered by a sommelier. Duration: one and a half to two hours. Focus: the interplay between wine and food.

High Wine versus a regular wine tasting

At a wine tasting, the wine itself is the focus. You learn to distinguish between grape varieties and regions. Bread and water are there to neutralise your palate.

At a High Wine, the combination is the starting point. Every dish is chosen to bring out a specific quality of the wine, or to deliberately contrast with it. The sommelier selects wine and food as one whole. That requires more expertise, but the experience is also more accessible. You do not need to know what you are tasting. You simply experience it.

What makes a High Wine good?

A good High Wine stands or falls on the precision of the selection, not the price of the wines. A fifteen-euro wine that is a perfect match for a dish is more valuable than an expensive bottle that pulls in the wrong direction.

The best High Wines share these qualities:

• Wines chosen for genuine reasons, not assembled generically

• Dishes that challenge the combination rather than simply accompany it

• Explanations that teach the guest something without lecturing

• A progression from light to more intense, from fresh to deeper

What does a High Wine at Paskamer look like?

At Paskamer you choose between three courses (39.50 p.p.) and four courses (52.50 p.p.). The sommeliers, all trained at the Amsterdam Wine Academy, compose the pairings based on the wine list of that moment.

With more than 350 wines and 50 available by the glass, the sommelier has genuine choice, not a fixed package. You will notice the difference.

Is a High Wine right for me?

If you enjoy wine and are curious about why certain combinations work: yes. If you want to give someone a special evening: yes. If you are looking for an original outing that offers more than a drinks platter: yes.

You do not need to be a wine expert. Quite the opposite. The best reactions come from people who say: I didn't know wine tastes so different when you pair it with the right food.