Post on 30-Mar-2016
description
Picture a sophisticated, well-
dressed business owner, or
a polished, carefully coifed
senior bank executive. Imagine a
well-educated young university
professor, or a talented, poised
aspiring actress. Want to make any
of them weak in the knees? Send
them into a fancy restaurant with
a group of their peers and suggest
they choose an appropriate wine
for dinner. Imagine, then, how the
average person feels when faced with
the same daunting task.
We are a little luckier than most — in
Ohio we have nearly 200 wineries, and
one is within a short drive of each of our
homes. So a visit to a nearby vineyard
to practice pronunciation skills and
to hone taste buds provides an easy
solution. For someone new to the world
of wine, and a little intimidated by it,
a trek to a local winery will begin the
delightful process of learning how to
pick a great wine for dinner.
The first rule is to set aside a
couple of afternoons to visit and chat
with the winemaker or tasting room
staff to begin to pick up the jargon.
Most regional wineries offer sampling
opportunities and a bit of coaching as
the taster goes through the selections.
While this exercise can be fun for
a couple, it also makes for a more
convivial afternoon if a group of four or
six travel together.
Since ultimately the very “best”
wine is the one most enjoyed, there
should be no “correct” answers but
rather lots of conversation. Following
the tasting, purchasing a couple of
reds and whites to take home will
allow some additional practice time
among close family and friends.
A couple of meals following the
traditional rules, which dictate that
a heavy, complex red wine should be
served with beef or intense pastas,
and fruit-up-front whites go better
with chicken and fish entrees, will
demonstrate as well as educate.
The exceptions notwithstanding,
most food and wine pairings
suggestions are based on common
sense, so starting with the obvious
combinations is the best place to
begin. If a group of folks would like to
share in the fun and plan an informal
dinner gathering where all repeat this
kind of research, so much the better.
Perhaps the next step, then,
is to do a little reading. Dozens of
tomes on wine and food pairings are
on bookshelves and online. A great
one to consider is Perfect Pairings by
Evan Goldstein. For general wine
knowledge, there is a great, easy-
to-explore primer by Kevin Zraly,
Windows on the World Wine Course.
Wine is not rocket science, and
although some in the industry can be
off-putting, just a bit of this kind of
research will eliminate much of the
intimidation which often causes diners
to simply order a beer. Once favorite
combinations have been indentified,
a bit of the jargon is mastered, a few
wines are tasted and advice is gleaned
from some expert foodies and wine
aficionados, anyone would be suitably
equipped to make an appropriate wine
selection at the next fancy dining
excursion with family, friends or
business associates. $
For additional information:
dwinchell@ohiowines.org
by Donniella Winchell
CHOOSING THE RIGHT WINE
Choosing the ‘right’ wine in a public setting requires a bit of practice.
heartofohiomagazine.com/pairings pairings 1