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.

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