I was buying some cod for a dinner with friends the other day when I found myself facing that age-old question that every wine-drinker-but-not-quite-a-connoisseur finds themselves up against when planning a semi-formal dinner party: Which wine goes best? Is a strict red with pasta, white with fish deal? How did I go about finding the answer to this question without having to immerse myself in some kind of wine-snob class?
I did some research and found a great chart that boils it down for you. Some of the pairings were ones I'd heard before, but I didn't know there is typically a red and white choice for each type of food, not just one or the other. Which is helpful for me, because white wine stirs up some kind of allergy for me that prevents me from drinking it, which is a shame because I love a good Riesling.
I also found some tips on how to buy wine, both in stores and restaurants. My favorite option is still to find a small store with a knowledgeable staff and ask their opinions, but it's good to have an idea of what parameters to think about first, including price, food pairings and the overall preference of a group or person. Some good basics to start with are here but I've found the best way to soak this information up is to hang around savvy wine people. You learn a lot just by listening to them order wine, discuss the choices with the waiter, and by ultimately noticing how the wine complements your food. You'll even find yourself experimenting with wine gadgets like these.
Stick with your wine lessons even if you're dabbling by association. Everything is a learning experience, and you'll find that as time goes by, you're becoming more familiar with wine etiquette, practices and tastes and be able to solve your own wine dilemmas.
And that cod goes wonderfully with a nice Pinot Noir, in case you were wondering.
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