Wine and Food

As requested, one of the things I'd really like to feature on this blog is wine pairings.

I've been "into" wine for around 9 years. My brother and sister lived in California for a decade, each. They came back with a love of wine. In fact, my brother was an engineer for a firm (Hensel Phelps) that helped build the Joseph Phelps winery (yes, that same Phelps). Anyone familiar with with JP knows their wines. I have a bottle of '98 Cab Sauv in my wine fridge, courtesy of same said brother.

I started taking wine tasting courses at Grapes & Grain in Mequon, WI. I took a variety of course, from basic wine tasting to wines of the world to wine and food pairings.

It's the latter I'd like to focus on in this blog. IMO, you can appreciate good wine but until you can appreciate wine with it's perfect counterpart - food (and ALL foods) - you don't know half of what you're talking about.

Personal wine preferences - I really don't have any! I like whites, red, sweet, dry, robust, simple, cheap, expensive...I try (and like) all sorts of wines - from $7 to $70. I think wine needs to reflect the mood you're trying to achieve. If you're looking for a simple apertif to unwind with after work, then I'll go suggest buying a bottle of $10 reisling from your local grocer. There's no need to spend $20 on a bottle for something so simple. If you want something "more" or something "exotic", I can suggest that too.

Nine times out of ten, if I offer a pairing, this is something I have tried and liked. But my palette does not equal yours (or even my husband's!), so what I may like, you may not. And that, ultimately, is the brilliance of wine. And if I get just one person to step outside the Merlot/Chardonnay box for one meal, then it's worth it.