This subject has been beat up. My wine orientation: I admire guys that can
just taste. Not me. I need some goat cheese and some Sancerre. I will be
always hedonistic.

Had an "aha" today. I realized that I choose wine for the meal I am hungry
for. Never the other way around. I would like to enjoy wine on the merits of
the wine itself, but can never do that without of context of food.

I just don't enjoy wine out of the context of food. A few exceptions:

- On a hot July afternoon on the east coast of the USA, I enjoy Prosecco
and a Bandol rose.

- Champagne, anytime! Especially with bacon and eggs on Sunday morning.

Anyone in the same position?

--
The journey is the reward.

"Rich R" wrote in
. com:

This subject has been beat up. My wine orientation: I admire guys
that can just taste. Not me. I need some goat cheese and some
Sancerre. I will be always hedonistic.

Had an "aha" today. I realized that I choose wine for the meal I am
hungry for. Never the other way around. I would like to enjoy wine on
the merits of the wine itself, but can never do that without of
context of food.

You are not a true wine nut yet. People that are enthusiastic about wine
would not think of picking up a restaurant menu without first looking at
the wine list. If a meal has been chosen i.e. "Honey we're having X for
dinner." picking a wine to go with the meal is allowed. When asked about
food, like in a restaurant or planning a dinner party, if you have to ask
if the wine or food should be chosen first, you are not a true wine lover.
As your palate becomes more educated, you will think to yourself "What food
goes with this wine?" rather than "What wine goes with this food?"

Fred.

I realized that I choose wine for the meal I am hungry
for. Never the other way around

97% of the time I hear from Betsy what we're having, then choose wine. When
there's a special occasion (I have a particular bottle I want to serve for
someone), I ask Betsy to meet my guidelines (i.e,. my brother is coming Monday,
I'm serving a Bdx from his birthyear, what else but roast chicken for a 43 yr
old claret?!?!).
Dale

Dale Williams
Drop "damnspam" to reply

When asked about
food, like in a restaurant or planning a dinner party, if you have to ask
if the wine or food should be chosen first, you are not a true wine lover.
As your palate becomes more educated, you will think to yourself "What food
goes with this wine?" rather than "What wine goes with this food?"


Hmmm. My pattern isn't so cut and dried as that. I scan menu, have some
options. Then scan winelist. I usually choose based on food. Sometimes, of
course, there's one amazing value on list. Or maybe NOTHING that matches with
my food choice. Then I choose what would work with wine. I'd say at home food
defines wine choice, at restaurant they're close to equal (slight advantage
food?).

Dale

Dale Williams
Drop "damnspam" to reply

"Rich R" wrote in message
. com...
This subject has been beat up. My wine orientation: I admire guys that
can
just taste. Not me. I need some goat cheese and some Sancerre. I will be
always hedonistic.

Had an "aha" today. I realized that I choose wine for the meal I am hungry
for. Never the other way around. I would like to enjoy wine on the merits
of
the wine itself, but can never do that without of context of food.

I just don't enjoy wine out of the context of food. A few exceptions:

- On a hot July afternoon on the east coast of the USA, I enjoy Prosecco
and a Bandol rose.

- Champagne, anytime! Especially with bacon and eggs on Sunday morning.

Anyone in the same position?

wine : food :: cart : horse

Fred wrote in message news:MBryc.56502$tI2.9501@fed1read07...

You are not a true wine nut yet. People that are enthusiastic about wine
would not think of picking up a restaurant menu without first looking at
the wine list. If a meal has been chosen i.e. "Honey we're having X for
dinner." picking a wine to go with the meal is allowed. When asked about
food, like in a restaurant or planning a dinner party, if you have to ask
if the wine or food should be chosen first, you are not a true wine lover.
As your palate becomes more educated, you will think to yourself "What food
goes with this wine?" rather than "What wine goes with this food?"

Fred.

That's a super theory, but you must get stymied time and time again.
So you pick a great bottle of wine, go to the menu, and guess what?
Nothing matches! I suppose you could keep going back to the wine list
and try again, but suddenly an hour has passed and you're nowhere near
enjoying anything (wine or food, that is) At a great restaurant, the
wine list tends to be far more extensive than the menu. Extreme
example: a tasting menu. There's a good reason for this, and it's
not that they want to snub the "wine nut."
e.

"Rich R" wrote in message
. com...
This subject has been beat up. My wine orientation: I admire guys that
can
just taste. Not me. I need some goat cheese and some Sancerre. I will be
always hedonistic.

Had an "aha" today. I realized that I choose wine for the meal I am hungry
for. Never the other way around. I would like to enjoy wine on the merits
of
the wine itself, but can never do that without of context of food.

I just don't enjoy wine out of the context of food. A few exceptions:

- On a hot July afternoon on the east coast of the USA, I enjoy Prosecco
and a Bandol rose.

- Champagne, anytime! Especially with bacon and eggs on Sunday morning.

Anyone in the same position?

--
The journey is the reward.


This thread came to me after I read a question posed by Bill Spohn in
another group. Paraphrasing, "If you could take a pill that would negate any
buzz, would you still enjoy wine?" I thought this was an excellent question,
and he posed it much better than I. Got me thinking. No, I don't like a wine
buzz. I do like a vodka martini before dinner for the buzz. But wine, no. So
my enjoyment of wine is directly derived from the food I am eating while
drinking.

Rich R.

"Dale Williams" wrote in message
...
I realized that I choose wine for the meal I am hungry
for. Never the other way around

97% of the time I hear from Betsy what we're having, then choose wine.
When
there's a special occasion (I have a particular bottle I want to serve for
someone), I ask Betsy to meet my guidelines (i.e,. my brother is coming
Monday,
I'm serving a Bdx from his birthyear, what else but roast chicken for a 43
yr
old claret?!?!).
Dale

Dale Williams
Drop "damnspam" to reply

The 97% applies to me, too.

Rich R.

On Fri, 11 Jun 2004 23:53:16 GMT, Fred said:

] "Rich R" wrote in
] . com:
]
] This subject has been beat up. My wine orientation: I admire guys
] that can just taste. Not me. I need some goat cheese and some
] Sancerre. I will be always hedonistic.
]
] Had an "aha" today. I realized that I choose wine for the meal I am
] hungry for. Never the other way around. I would like to enjoy wine on
] the merits of the wine itself, but can never do that without of
] context of food.
]
] You are not a true wine nut yet. People that are enthusiastic about wine
] would not think of picking up a restaurant menu without first looking at
] the wine list. If a meal has been chosen i.e. "Honey we're having X for
] dinner." picking a wine to go with the meal is allowed. When asked about
] food, like in a restaurant or planning a dinner party, if you have to ask
] if the wine or food should be chosen first, you are not a true wine lover.
] As your palate becomes more educated, you will think to yourself "What food
] goes with this wine?" rather than "What wine goes with this food?"
]

Fred, I think you're being a bit patronizing. For all you know, Rich may have
a superior palate, years of experience, and a vertical of Yquem back to '29.

I'm with Rich on this one, I seldom drink wine without food. And yet by
any definition I am "enthusiastic about wine."

Like the other respondants I usually pick the wine to match the food, because
there's usually a larger choice than on the menu or at market (the really fresh
ingredients, I mean). Only for really special bottles do I go the other way,
e.g. something I've had in the cellar for 20 years.

Not a question of palate education, AFAICT.

-E
--
Emery Davis
You can reply to
by removing the well known companies

Emery Davis wrote in
:

On Fri, 11 Jun 2004 23:53:16 GMT, Fred said:

] "Rich R" wrote in
] . com:
]
] This subject has been beat up. My wine orientation: I admire guys
] that can just taste. Not me. I need some goat cheese and some
] Sancerre. I will be always hedonis tic.
]
] Had an "aha" today. I realized that I choose wine for the meal I am
] hungry for. Never the other way around. I would like to enjoy wine
] on the merits of the wine itself, but can never do that without of
] context of food.
]
] You are not a true wine nut yet. People that are enthusiastic about
] wine would not think of picking up a restaurant menu without first
] looking at the wine list. If a meal has been chosen i.e. "Honey we're
] having X for dinner." picking a wine to go with the meal is allowed.
] When asked about food, like in a restaurant or planning a dinner
] party, if you have to ask if the wine or food should be chosen first,
] you are not a true wine lover. As your palate becomes more educated,
] you will think to yourself "What food goes with this wine?" rather
] than "What wine goes with this food?"
]

Fred, I think you're being a bit patronizing. For all you know, Rich
may have a superior palate, years of experience, and a vertical of
Yquem back to '29.

I'm with Rich on this one, I seldom drink wine without food. And yet
by any definition I am "enthusiastic about wine."

Like the other respondants I usually pick the wine to match the food,
because there's usually a larger choice than on the menu or at market
(the really fresh ingredients, I mean). Only for really special
bottles do I go the other way, e.g. something I've had in the cellar
for 20 years.

My post was meant to be patronizing. That should be taken with a large
amount of NaCl. I was trying to indicate that as wine grows in importance
it will outstrip food and the food will become secondary. The food is
usually primary at home. A restaurant is another matter. I can see special
bottles as being the focus of a meal. The bottles will be less and less
special to be more important than the food as your obsession with wine
grows. I do not claim to be a master of wine. From what I have read on this
group my knowlege/palate/collection seems to be about average. I understand
obsession from my experience with a lot of people that were obsessed with
something, only a few of them about wine. A few years ago I asked for
submissions to "The Top 10 Signs You are a Wine Nut". Some of the
submissions were the mark of someone that was obsessed with wine. I think
someone said "You pick the food to go with the wine and not vice versa" as
one of the signs you were obsessed with wine. FYI #1 was "You wonder why so
many people hate the French".

Fred.

Tom S wrote:

I'd go as far as to say that the alcohol sometimes interferes with my
enjoyment of wine, because I want another glass or two, but my body can't
handle that much alcohol consumption without leaving me with a massive
hangover and headache.

Anecdotally, I'm recovering from a mild migraine today. The thought of
getting inebriated is repulsive, but I can still contemplate great
smells and tastes happily.

You wrote:

I was trying to indicate that as wine grows in importance
it will outstrip food and the food will become secondary. The food is
usually primary at home. A restaurant is another matter. I can see special
bottles as being the focus of a meal.

We eat in and out a lot. Never found your situation to be true. Best food
(and wine) has always been at home. But maybe friends and family have
something to do with it.

Rich R.

"Rich R" wrote in
:

You wrote:

I was trying to indicate that as wine grows in importance
it will outstrip food and the food will become secondary. The food is
usually primary at home. A restaurant is another matter. I can see
special bottles as being the focus of a meal.

We eat in and out a lot. Never found your situation to be true. Best
food (and wine) has always been at home. But maybe friends and family
have something to do with it.

I wasn't trying to say that restaurant food is better than food at home. At
a restaurant there is a menu of food choices while at home there is a more
set choice of food. Some of my best meals have been outside of a
restaurant. Some restaurants have very fine food. It pales in comparison to
good friends and family.

Fred.

"Fred" wrote in message
news:MBryc.56502$tI2.9501@fed1read07...
When asked about
food, like in a restaurant or planning a dinner party, if you have to ask
if the wine or food should be chosen first, you are not a true wine lover.
As your palate becomes more educated, you will think to yourself "What
food
goes with this wine?" rather than "What wine goes with this food?"

I tend to concur with Dale on this opinion - but with some differences.

I generally scan the wine list for both reds _and_ whites of interest. Then
I have the option (generally) of ordering anything from the menu that
strikes my fancy.

In some cases, I may have a yen for pasta with meat sauce, e.g., so that
pretty much forces a red wine; or "it's too hot for red wine, so let's get
something that goes with white wine". These would be the exception though
IMO.

Tom S

"Fred" wrote in message news:wMqzc.80$Gy.76@fed1read03...
"Rich R" wrote in
:

You wrote:

I was trying to indicate that as wine grows in importance
it will outstrip food and the food will become secondary. The food is
usually primary at home. A restaurant is another matter. I can see
special bottles as being the focus of a meal.

We eat in and out a lot. Never found your situation to be true. Best
food (and wine) has always been at home. But maybe friends and family
have something to do with it.

I wasn't trying to say that restaurant food is better than food at home.
At
a restaurant there is a menu of food choices while at home there is a more
set choice of food. Some of my best meals have been outside of a
restaurant. Some restaurants have very fine food. It pales in comparison
to
good friends and family.

Fred.

sì, naturalmente,

Rich