Wine Knowledge for Getting Started when Pairing Wine and Food

As I have said before, and I am sure will say many times more, WINE IS FUN. Pairing Wine and Food is even more fun. Well at least it should be. Sometimes I listen to the wine aficionados talk, and all I can hear is them intellectualizing over the wine. They discuss the aromas, the varietals, the tannins?. This can be very disconcerting to anyone who doesn?t understand what they are saying. It can make a person afraid to ask in public what wine do you suggest, or maybe the person will not order any wine at all. That would be a shame since that person will be missing out on the fun, history and culture of wine.

Come on people, what about, gee this is really good. Believe me, knowledge is important, it gives you the background to understanding the nuances of the wine. I have a question for you, what comes first, the cart or the horse or what comes first your taste and smell senses or the educational background of wine. When you were growing up, did you care how french fries and hot dogs were produced, or did you care about how the food smelled and tasted.

You instinctively knew that if something smelled bad, well then it probably didn?t taste too good. You also knew that if something was brought out to you to eat and the color didn?t look right, well, maybe you shouldn?t eat it. THE SAME THING GOES FOR WINE. IF IT DOESN?T SMELL RIGHT, OR DOESN?T LOOK RIGHT, IT PROBABLY HAS SOMETHING GOING ON THAT YOU WON?T LIKE. But as your mother and father probably told you, try it anyway. And that?s what you should do with wine. Swirl it, smell it, taste it, then decide if you like it?.As I say, make it fun?.If the wine is no good, just close it up and open another bottle and the next day take the bad bottle back to your wine merchant for an exchange?

I know this all sounds like common sense, but you would be surprised at all the stories I have heard from clients and friends when we are talking about our first experiences with wine.

Well listen, go out there, pick up some fresh vegetables, fish or whatever you like; find someone to talk to (a good wine merchant or email me) and pick out a nice wine to pair with the food.

Here?s to your pairing wine and food tonight success,

Michael