Wines and their drinkers are a rich mixture of different palates and different tastes so that individual preference come into play early on in the encounter.To say there are no bad wines would be an exaggeration unless you have an alcohol problem, in which case this post is hardly likely to be of any interest to you.
Matching wines to different food dishes so that the wine and the food being consumed help to enhance the overall experience is certainly something worthy of a little time investment, and although I would never pretend to be a wine buff nor for that matter would I pretend to know everything about food and the huge variety of dishes that modern day restaurants or even private parties might provide I do, however, have a deep interst in maximising dining and drinking experiences to achieve the best experience.
I am sure that you too have had dining experiences which because of the company, the party or the restaurant, have remained in your memory as a pleasant or even outstanding experience that you treasure. It is to this quest to have even more good experiences to remember that I offer some guidance as to the ideal mix that I offer this article.
In times gone past, the basic rules were white wine with fish or poultry and red wine with red meats and cheese with sherry to start and port to finish. With the increased globalization of cuisine this simple fomula has changed somewhat and the choices of dishes available and the changes in dining, the rules as once was have become a little more sophisticated and therefore some guidance, rather than hard and fast rules, are more helpful.
Let us start with the pre-dinner nibbles that occur primarily for the host to provide a welcome and provide the time for those last minute adjustments that we all find necessary to make.
Pre-dinner nibbles are best when they are accompanied by a manzanilla sherry or a chilled fino. The two classics and best appetite whetters are sparkling wine and dry sherry. A light, non-vintage champagne or a lighter Californian or New Zealand sparklers is a good choice. However, if serving highly seasoned canape´s , then a good dry sherry is to be preferred.
A cautionary note – always serve modest amounts of appetizers.
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This post was written by editor on February 17, 2010
