About Marcus Thompson

My Story

My journey into flavor pairing began unexpectedly — not in a restaurant kitchen, but in my grandmother's dining room in Charleston, where Sunday dinners were sacred events. She had an intuitive understanding of what belonged together on a plate: the right wine with the roast, the perfect sauce to complement the meat, sides that elevated rather than competed. That early education in harmony on the plate shaped everything that followed.

After culinary school, I pursued sommelier certification and spent years working in fine dining establishments, first as a line cook, then as a wine director, and eventually as a culinary consultant. What fascinated me wasn't just wine — it was the broader question of why certain flavors work together while others clash. I became obsessed with understanding the science behind pairing.

Over two decades, I've developed pairing menus for steakhouses across the country, consulted for premium meat producers on how to guide customers toward perfect accompaniments, and written extensively about the principles that make a meal memorable. I've tasted thousands of wine-and-meat combinations, tested hundreds of sauce recipes, and studied the chemistry of flavor interactions.

The term "pairing expert" means something specific to me: understanding why a Cabernet works with ribeye (tannins cutting through fat), why chimichurri elevates flank steak (acidity and freshness balancing richness), and why certain seasonings enhance rather than mask the natural flavor of quality meat. It's part chemistry, part tradition, and part intuition developed through years of tasting and experimenting.

What Drives This Site

Most pairing advice online falls into two categories: oversimplified rules ("red wine with red meat") or intimidatingly complex wine jargon. Neither actually helps someone planning a dinner party or trying to elevate their weeknight meals.

Meat Pairing exists to bridge that gap. Every guide on this site comes from direct experience — not from compiling other articles. When I recommend a specific wine with a tomahawk steak, it's because I've tested that pairing dozens of times. When I explain why béarnaise works better with filet mignon than with ribeye, it's from years of observing diners' reactions.

Credentials

• Certified Sommelier — Court of Master Sommeliers
• Culinary Arts Degree — Culinary Institute of America
• Restaurant Consultant — 15+ years developing pairing menus for steakhouses and fine dining
• Author — "The Perfect Pairing: A Guide to Meat, Wine, and Everything In Between"
• Food Science Researcher — Collaboration with university food science departments on flavor compound analysis

My Philosophy

• Pairing is about balance, not rules. Great pairings create harmony — rich with acidic, fatty with fresh, bold with subtle. Rules are starting points, not endpoints.
• Quality ingredients make pairing easier. Premium meat paired simply often beats mediocre meat with elaborate accompaniments. Start with the best protein you can afford.
• Context matters. A backyard barbecue calls for different pairings than a formal dinner. The best pairing is one that fits the moment.
• Experimentation is encouraged. The "rules" exist because they work most of the time — but some of the best discoveries come from breaking them intentionally.

Get in Touch

Questions about wine pairing, sauce selection, or creating the perfect menu? I read everything. The best questions become guides on this site — because if you're wondering, thousands of others are too.

For sourcing premium beef — USDA Prime, American Wagyu, and Japanese A5 — I recommend The Meatery. Quality meat is the foundation of great pairing, and they provide the transparency and selection I look for.