Travel Challenges in General

Bob Dylan famously stated, "The times they are a-changing'" and he truly captured the essence of travel, particularly for individuals over the age of 65. It is widely recognized that travel is becoming increasingly challenging, and as we grow older, it often feels nearly impossible. We traveled to SEATAC (Seattle/Tacoma International Airport) and subsequently to Honolulu, Hawaii. Despite our efforts to ensure a comfortable and pain-free journey, we encountered numerous obstacles that ultimately exhausted us. Upon our arrival at SEATAC, we quickly discovered that public transportation options, including taxis, Ubers, and hotel shuttle buses, were not advisable. All these services are limited to drop-off and pick-up at the 3rd Floor Garage, and after making the lengthy trek there, we had to wait over an hour for the hotel shuttle bus, while we were unable to secure an Uber or taxi due to the thousands (not an exaggeration) of people queuing for the same. This situation unfolded at 11 PM, with street traffic congested for miles. The explanation provided was due to construction and the arrival and departure of cruise ships, but that does not account for the entirety of the chaos. We quickly recognized the necessity of booking a limousine service for any future trips to and from SEATAC. For long-distance journeys, we now reserve a hotel midway through our travels to allow for a restful overnight break before continuing. Thus far, Delta, our preferred airline, permits us to book multiple flight segments without imposing excessive charges, which was beneficial on this trip as we had four flights. However, we still endured four six-hour flights with varying levels of comfort. On our first night, we stayed at the Hilton Airport and Conference Center, a place we had previously enjoyed but can no longer endorse. Their airport shuttle service is exceedingly slow, and the hotel is understaffed, resulting in minimal service. The dining options are subpar, and the hot tub is not heated, which was a significant disappointment for me. Additionally, when I attempted to book other rooms throughout the week, as we were coming and going, I found that each time I booked for a different day, the rates increased. We eventually stayed the rest of the time at Residence Inn at the airport where the service was better, the rooms were bigger and more comfortable, and the Shuttle service was better and the prices were stable.

I highly recommend having access to at least one airport lounge. Generally, we prefer the Delta lounges, as we find them to be the best option available. With the AMEX Platinum card, we also have access to Centurion Lounges; however, these are only located in a limited number of airports, and overall, we believe the food and atmosphere at Delta Sky Lounges are superior. Additionally, we possess a Priority Pass, which offers the main advantage of having the highest number of lounges in a significant number of airports worldwide, and while they may be smaller, they suffice in a pinch. Please note that at times, you may need to wait for entry due to crowding, or there may be restrictions on when you can enter, such as not being allowed in more than three hours before your next flight. Typically, lounges provide a satisfactory meal, and seating is usually spacious. Some lounges even offer shower facilities. 

For long-haul flights, we are currently able to afford first class, and it indeed makes a noticeable difference. For reasons unknown, the cost of First Class is significantly lower when departing from Orlando (MCO). I am presently disappointed with the new seating configuration of Delta's Airbus 321 aircraft, as there is a lack of legroom even in First Class, making it challenging to exit from the window seat during the flight to use the restroom. The food quality is also subpar, and the level of helpfulness and attention from the flight crew varies greatly. Delta has the potential to improve. As I recall with Delta at least the older First Class configuration with Boeing 737’s is better and you might want to select those flights over the Airbus 321.

In summary, choose your flights well and research the aircraft configuration(no more Boeing 777 business class, especially British Air) arrange for layovers, at airports that are crowded spend the money and pre-order a limo service, and pick hotels that are consistent in price and comfort and you will arrive at your destination less stressed out.

Tit for Tat Del Dotto and Napa Valley December 2024

As usual I have failed to keep up with this Blog. It’s not that I don’t have anything to say. Life as we know just gets in the way. So today I have a few items to advise you on and some great wines to recommend.

Some Tips on tasting wines and recent insights.

1. When tasting lots of wines you get palate/nose fatigue. To freshen your tasting ability and reset your senses try smelling your elbow or body.

2. The higher the acid in a wine the higher the saliva production. If you have increasing watery secretions in the mouth your are drinking a higher acid wine.

3. Wines fermented at higher temperatures show less fruit. As usual heat kills wine.

4. Wine fermented in concrete which goes back 2000 years to Roman times presents differences in wine production. A couple of years ago we visited a vineyard in Bordeaux/Blaye that were still using 2000 year old concrete vats built by the Romans and they were square in size. At modern vineyards you will frequently see egg shaped vats that are made with concrete. Wine fermented in concrete it is harder to control the temperature of fermentation so the wine maker usually doesn’t meaning a certain acceptance of loss of fruit. Also the lees(Lees are deposits of dead yeast or residual yeast and other particles that precipitate to the bottom of a vat of wine after fermentation and aging) do not settle so it makes no sense to tamp down the lees like you see being done in stainless tanks. By not tamping down the lees the wine increases in complexity due to increased surface contact with the lees.

Del Dotto Napa Valley

Making our second annual trip to the Del Dotto White Truffle Dinner we spent a day with Dave Del Dotto tasting some of his recent offerings listed here. Dave continues to lead an innovative and forward looking team with lots of surprises in his wines. You really have to visit to taste his wines and I do recommend scheduling a visit when you are in Napa. All of the vineyards today charge tasting fee's as they simply can no longer give away that much free wine. Del Dotto is clearly the best tasting experience in the Valley that I have experienced and it comes with great food and pizza so I highly recommend lunch. You must make reservations as they are always busy. Don't miss the cave tour and tasting in the caves as it will be memorable.

2012 Vineyard 887 Cabernet

There is a unique smoky nose here. The alcohol is high at 15.5% and too me it was hot and overwhelming so the fruit was sort of hidden.

2021 Family Chardonnay Reserve

Has a nice nose. Lots of pear in the taste along with apple. Has a good finish. In general we like this wine and have purchased a case or two. To me the family reserve wines are usually the better ones here.

2012 Rutherford Vineyards

As a rule I love Rutherford and Oakville wines in general. This one starts with a nice oaky nose and despite an alcohol content of 15.4% I found the wine to be soft and feminine. There is plenty of fruit on the taste with hints of licorice. So it is farily complex. The mouthfeel is nice so it is a wine I can recommend

2015 St Helena Family Cabernet

The main attraction to this wine was an exceptional long finish, more than most. It had a basic Cab nose and taste along with another high alcohol monster at 15.2%. As a family favorite it is compelling and has plenty of fruit

2014 Villa Del Lago

One of Dave’s top 2 wines and my personal favorite. It is an exceptional wine with layers of complexity and finesse hard to find. It is very complex with lots of berry flavors in the nose and taste and surprisingly a taste of dark cherry. Like all of Daves wine plenty of alcohol but perfect balance and a pleasant velvet mouthfeel. It also has a good finish.

2014 The Beast

When I think of the Beast I think BOLD. It is sort of how it got named. Someone was drinking it and said “this is a beast of a wine”. Most of us agree. It opens with a bold smoky nose with lots of charcoal smell and taste. In many ways it is too bold with a lot of tannin and maybe not as smooth, especially when compared to the Villa Del Lago. Dave also brought out a 2020 Single Cluster Beast and to me it had a much richer taste and a predominance of licorice. A significant number of vintages of the Beast have been rated 100 points by the professionals which I can confirm.

Carter Cellars

Owner and vintner Mark Carter has built a portfolio of great California Cabernets over the years with a long line of 100 point wines. In fact this year his wines received his 25th 100 point score. I have now met him twice over the past two years and he is a great guy to taste wine with and clearly is passionate regarding his wines. For decades he controls a significant portion of the Beckstoffer To Kalon vineyards one of the original and oldest Cabernet vineyards in the valley.

2022 The Haze $95

The nose opens with a sweet and smoky flavor. I noticed blackberry fruit on the nose. There's lots of fruit in this wine, as I also detected boysenberry along with the blackberry. There was a huge amount of tannin in this wine, so it's very bold. I also picked up some licorice but Despite all of the positives, I didn't find it particularly complex.

2022 Carter Carter $175

The nose opens with a lot of fruit and floral aromas with hints of honeysuckle, pencil, and graphite. This wine was more complex than the previous one. There was a good mix of floral and Earth tones. The wine presented a fair amount of sweet taste and there was a velvet mouthfeel. It had a pretty nice finish. The wine was a primary profile of Berry flavorsand moderate tannins. The alcohol content in this one is 15.2%, which was not particularly noticeable.

2022 Beckstoffer Las Piedras La Bam $260

This wine has a more simple basic nose of fruit with some mild smoke and the fruit. I found this wine to have a bitter Disjointed candy flavor taste that I did not like. Interestingly the 2021 was 100 point rated, but I was just not that impressed with the 2022. There was a high concentration of tannin in this clearly young puppy but you could still taste the fruit

2021 Beckstoffer Las Piedras La Bam

A bit more complex on the nose. Nice cinnamon and floral hints. The mouth feel is very nice and there is a sweetness to the wine taste. It has a little more alcohol and I described it as hot in my notes. The tannin was moderate. Overall I preferred this to the 2022 and thought it was a better wine.

2022 Beckstoffer To Kalon The Grand Daddy $260

Starts with a nice sweet balanced nose. Again some hot alcohol and a lot of tannin, so very young. There was a short finish. It may be the grand daddy but not for at least 10 years in bottle.

2022 Beckstoffer To Kalon The O.G. $260

Starts with a nice tobacco cigar smoke nose. It has a classic Cabernet taste with balanced alcohol and tannin. The wine presents again as very young and tannic but fruit is there. I detected some licorice here. It is a nice drinkable wine for now and will age well.

2022 Beckstoffer To Kalon The GTO 1.5L $650

Mark Carter’s Opus one landmark wine and rich, smoky, graphite nose followed with a hedonistic velvet mouthfeel. One of Carters best balanced wines. It has again high alcohol of 15.2% but due to the exceptional balancee you do not notice it.

Theorem Vineyards

On my own separate from our usual Napa guide I made reservations at Theorem estate grown wines. This vineyard was established in 1878 and is located on the northern slope of Diamond Mountain in Calistoga, California, approximately 1,100 feet above sea level.  The vineyard benefits from volcanic soil, ample sunlight, and cooling afternoon winds, which contribute to the quality of its wines.  Visitors can enjoy stunning views of Mount St. Helena, a noted private chef, and various tasting venues that offer a unique experience.  The estate produces world-class wines, including its flagship Cabernet Sauvignon.  I have loved California Mountain vineyards for years and Theorem is one of my favorites, especially their Chardonnay, and we usually buy a case or two per year.  We tasted the following wines and all were world class and again found the Chardonnay compelling and purchased a case. Their tasting room is spectacular so book a visit. Advance reservations are required.

2022 Moon Mountain Sauvignon Blanc

2022 Moon Mountain Chardonnay

2022 Moon Mountain 100% Syrah

2022 Moon Mountain 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Screaming Eagle Part 3, ?The final Chapter?

After another 2 year break, back at it, tasting Screaming Eagle this time out of Magnums. I have to pinch myself knowing that I am one of a very few individuals including all of the top writers that have tasted this many Screaming Eagle vintages. Again the venue was at the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island 5 Diamond restaurant “Salt” with Chef Okan providing the dinner. The dinner was held to help fund a new project in Nassau County Florida building a tiny home neighborhood for affordable housing for lower income citizens of the area. Well attended the event eventually provided enough funds to start and hopefully finish the project.

I recommend you review my 2 previous Blogs on February 25, 2021 as well as May 7, 2023 to help getting up to speed for this review. As a review, since 2021 these are the wines reviewed in date order with the professional ratings.

Screaming Eagle Cabernet Red

2005 Screaming Eagle RP98 WS95 ST94

2009 Screaming Eagle RP96 WS96 ST96

2010 Screaming Eagle RP100 WS96 ST97

2011 Screaming Eagle RP94-99 JS94

2012 Screaming Eagle RP100 WS97 ST95-98 JS100

2013 Screaming Eagle RP97 WS95 JS100 750cc 2021 1.5L 2025

2014 Screaming Eagle RP97 WS95 JS99

2015 Screaming Eagle WA100 JS100

2016 Screaming Eagle WA100 JS100

2019 Screaming Eagle D100 750cc 2023 1.5L 2025

2020 Screaming Eagle JS99 750cc 2023 1.5L 2025

2021 Screaming Eagle RP98 JS100 V100 D100 1.5L 2025

Screaming Eagle 2nd Flight

2014 Second Flight RP96 JS97 D95

2021 Second Flight WI100

Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc

2019 Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc RP99

2021 Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc RP100

Wines Tasted March 29, 2025

2021 Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc RP 100

Talk about an embarrassment of riches. This is my second bottle of what may be one of the rarest wines on the planet as I had the 2019 2 years ago. My first impression a bright, high acid, grapefruit predominate wine. It was by no means overoaked which you should expect here. It was a nice complex wine, I could pick up 4 or 5 flavors easily. In addition to grapefruit I tasted lemon and pineapple. The balance was exceptional with all flavors complimenting each other. The finish was exceptional over 10 minutes and lingering, complex, and impressionable. I have nothing but praise and agree with the 100 point rating. I do apologize in that there are only a couple of hundred bottles made so it is near impossible for most to have this wine.

2021 Screaming Eagle 2nd Flight RP 100

In many ways this is a historic wine in that it is one of the first 2nd bottling that have been rated 100 points. This was rated 100 by Robert Parker. It should also be noted that this wine has more Merlot than most which may play into that rating. It has a rich, elegant nose and the oak is well integrated in all aspects. As with all Screaming Eagles there is exceptional balance here while maintaining complexity. I tasted cedar, cigar box, black currant, prunes, eucalyptus, and mint. In many respects the fruit was somewhat subdued allowing for a more mineral taste bringing forth some old world Cab style.

2013 Screaming Eagle Cabernets in Magnum RP 97 WS 95 JS 100

For me hands down the wine of evening. I had this wine previously in the 2021 tasting and here is what I said tasting 2013 out of a 750cc bottle.

“On the nose and taste I found an abundance of smoky meat and barbecue. The tannins were exceptionally smooth and balanced along with balanced acid and alcohol. I found I agreed more with Robert Parker on this year and it was one of my favorites of the evening”

Out of Magnum again the best Cabernet of the evening. Parker rated it 97 whereas James Suckling gave it the full 100 points. For me again this was a smooth operator. The opening stanza was a spectacular spiritual nose and aroma highly complex. The oak was just enough to enhance the wine and blends in seamlessly with the fruit. There is a perfect harmonious pleasant blend of flavors. Multiple flavors were showcased including cedar, oak, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, and Cassis which Screaming Eagle is known for. The final stanza was a lingering complex finish to die for. No question a 100 point experience. The main difference out of Magnum for me was continued evolution of complexity and it was smoother and more mellow than what I remember 4 years ago. I also was blown away with the nose.

2019 Screaming Eagle D100 750cc 2023 1.5L 2025

An extraordinary wine. From the start unmistakable aroma, bouquet, and taste with layer upon layer of complexity. I smelled and tasted Blackberry, Cassis, prune, fig, cedar, a light hint of oak that did not overwhelm the fruit. An overlay of nice smoky flavor. There was outstanding acid and balance and for me the finish lasted for 10 minutes or more. It was just an amazing complex pleasant well balanced wine that lingered in the memory. A perfect example of my description of Screaming Eagle being a “berry complex well balanced wine”.Since my last tasting on May 7, 2023 the 2019 has clearly improved with age.

2020 Screaming Eagle JS99 750cc 2023 1.5L 2025

An outstanding wine but to me a little less impressive than the 2019. There was cedar on the nose but less oak than the 2019. Still lots of berry flavors including blackberry, raspberry, and strawberry with plenty of cedar flavors. The finish was not as long as I would have liked. It is still a young wine so may just need more time to evolve. Plenty of fruit to go forward. My review from May 7, 2023 is similar and I still like the wine I just found the evolution of the 2019 more to my taste. Reality both are great.

2021 Screaming Eagle RP98 JS100 V100 D100 1.5L 2025

The 2021 is just too young to really judge and appreciate. It was harsh on the taste and very, very strong tannic structure that overwhelmed the fruit. 2021 wines were noted to have small berry size and high skin to pulp ratios with lower yields which may explain the strong tannins. The oak flavors were also there but for me they were just enough to enhance the wine and blend in. I did detect from eucalyptus and mint on the nose but the tannins overwhelmed everything in the taste. I do suspect that it will prove to be more complex than I could tell. I also think the balance is there More than one writer gave it 100 points but I just could not really judge it due to its tannic youth. Clearly will need at least 10 years to evolve. Lisa Perrotti-Brown stood out recommending up to 10 years of cellaring.

1997 Huet Vouvray Cuvee Constance 1.5 L 100 WS 99 WA

Sweet wines generally last for decades and this Vouvray is an outstanding example. Our group had this years ago out of magnum and we enjoyed it again this evening out of magnum and OMG was it so good and continues to be close to a spiritual wine. I starts with a delicate honey nose bursting in aroma. A concentrated sweetness with honey, lemon, and pear flavors well balanced. An excellent, long, lingering finish into the evening star studded sky. Being from 1997 it is already a rare wine to find and impossible in magnum. My friend who acquired it was offered it as the last of it’s vintage so in magnums that is true. But it was so good we could not foresee life without some in our cellar so I started my world wide search and low and behold I found 20 750cc bottles in London and purchased them. In Europe at least there are a few 750cc’s left but alas no magnums. But we now have 20 that should last our lifetimes. When you visit we will crack a bottle. I have provided the professional reviews on this rare wine below.

100 points Wine Spectator: " *Cellar Selection* Extraordinarily rich. An amazing amount of botrytis gives this sweet white a powerful, spicy character, its masses of ripe fruit kept lively by electrifying acidity. So concentrated it tastes as though all the flesh has evaporated, leaving only the spirit behind. Will easily last your lifetime and mine. (TM)" (02/2000)

99 points Wine Advocate: "The stunning, virtually perfect, 1997 Vouvray Moelleux Cuvee Constance (named after his daughter) sports 150 grams of residual sugar per liter, 7.5 grams of acidity, and 12.5% alcohol. Tasting this sublime dessert wine brought tears to my eyes. It is so captivatingly pure, focused, and intricate as to be all but impossible to adequately describe. Its green and straw color reveals hints of gold. Aromatically, it titillates with scents of apricot jam, candied grapefruits, quince, bergamots, and flowers. On the palate fresh peaches, citrus fruits, honey, acacia blossoms, quinine, chalk, and lemony mangoes can be found. Additionally, this medium-to-full-bodied, penetrating, yet perfectly balanced wine has a finish that seemingly lingers forever, revealing even more waves of minerals and fruit. It will require patience yet should easily evolve for 50 years or more. Bravo! (PR)" (08/1999)

The wine soapbox

As an amateur I must hold the worlds record for tasting 12 vintages of Screaming Eagle including some 2nd Flights and their Sauvignon Blanc. Going back to my initial tastings in 2021 and 2023 I can continue to state these wines are “berry, and complex well balanced”. I see no reason to change my past opinion so in closing I offer my editorial from 2023 as follows:

“Now onto the elephant in the room the price-value ratio. These wines are one of the most expensive wines on the planet and you have to ask yourself if the difference in style and taste and quality is worth the price differential over an equally compelling California Cabernet. That is a question you have to answer yourself. I think it says a lot that a significant number of these bottles end up at auction in the after-market having never been drunk by the original owner. Last week at dinner a friend gave me a great line that says “Wine is made to be enjoyed not exploited”. Wine is made to be drunk, period. If all you are doing is buying and selling something over and over again to squeeze every ounce of profit out of it then please go buy NFTs. At least that is more honest. I have confirmed that for many of my friends who have the palate Screaming Eagle offers a subtle hedonistic taste difference that only they can appreciate and they have the funds to indulge this vice. So I say go ahead with my blessing and joy that you are in fact enjoying these wines. But please eventually drink them. Some things are more important than money. For the rest of us, there are hundreds of similar quality and tasty wines at a much lower price point. Please see my blog on California Cabernets from October 22, 2021. In the first Screaming Eagle tasting a 2015 Hall Jacks Masterpiece was included and I wrote then and confirm now it is as close to Screaming Eagle as you can get and is 5% of the cost of Screaming Eagle. “

Again I offer my sincerest congratulations and thanks to both Executive Chef Okan Kizirilbay and Collin Thornton, Food and Beverage Manager of the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island for volunteering to provide this dinner to provide affordable housing to the Nassau County residents.

Food and Wine Matching a Comprehensive Review from Wine Spectator

To be clear this is not my original work and is a copy from Wine Spectator last year I found very comprehensive and valuable so I reproduce it here for you with a link to join Wine Spectator if you wish

Good news: When matching food and wine, you don’t have to learn complicated systems for selecting the right bottle to enhance what you're eating. This is not rocket science. A few simple guidelines will help you make successful wine-and-food pairings.

Of course, it’s fun to experiment and fine-tune, and with experience you may be able to create spectacular matches that dramatically improve both the dish and the wine. But save those efforts for special occasions and special wines.
Keep It Simple

The three most important rules when it comes to wine-and-food pairing are:

1. Drink and eat what you like

Choose a wine that you would want to drink by itself, rather than hoping a food match will improve a wine made in a style you don’t like. That way, even if the pairing isn’t perfect, you will still enjoy what you’re drinking; at worst, you might need a sip of water or bite of bread between the dish and the glass. The same holds true for the food: After all, if you detest liver, there is no wine pairing on Earth that will make it work for you.

2. Look for balance

Consider the weight—or body, or richness—of both the food and the wine. The wine and the dish should be equal partners, with neither overwhelming the other. If you balance the two by weight, you raise the odds dramatically that the pairing will succeed. This is the secret behind many classic wine-and-food matches.

There’s a fair amount of instinct to this. Hearty food needs a hearty wine. Cabernet Sauvignon complements grilled steak or lamb chops because they’re equally vigorous; the dish would run roughshod over a crisp white wine. In contrast, a light Soave washes down a subtly flavored poached fish because they are equals in delicacy.

Crisp whites such as Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, made with Sauvignon Blanc, complement fresh herbs and soft cheeses, but light reds and richer whites call for different matches. (Andrew McCaul)

How do you determine weight? For the food, fat—including what comes from the cooking method and the sauce—is the main contributor. (Note how a salad with blue cheese dressing feels heavier than one with citrus vinaigrette, as does fried chicken versus poached.)

For a wine, you can get clues from the color, grape variety and alcohol level, along with the winemaking techniques and the region’s climate. (Wines with less than 12 percent alcohol tend to be lighter-bodied; those with more than 14 percent are heavier.) If you’re not familiar with a wine, consult our lists below.

3. Match the wine to the most prominent element in the dish

This is critical to fine-tuning wine pairings. Identify the dominant character in the dish; often it's the sauce, seasonings or cooking method, rather than the main ingredient. Consider two different chicken dishes: Chicken Marsala, with its browned surface and a sauce of dark wine and mushrooms, versus a chicken breast poached in a creamy lemon sauce. The caramelized, earthy flavors of the former tilt it toward a soft, supple red, while the simplicity and citrus flavors of the latter call for a fresh white.

Getting More Advanced

Once you’ve considered these three important rules, you can get more detailed if you want and consider other subtleties of the wine.

First it’s useful to understand the components from the grapes that make up a wine’s structure: the fruit flavors and sugar, which give wines a soft feel in the mouth, and the acidity and tannins, which give wines a sensation of firmness. And of course, there’s the alcohol, which can feel softer in smaller amounts, harder in higher ones.

Red wines are distinct from whites in two main ways: tannins and flavors. Tannins are compounds that provide structure and texture to a wine; they’re responsible for that astringent sensation you feel on the sides of your cheeks, much like when you drink a strong cup of tea. Many red wines have tannins; few white wines do, unless they have spent extensive time aging in oak barrels.

Rosés can strike a balance between white and red wines for pairings and also serve as a go-to option for difficult-to-match dishes. (Aubrie Pick)

White and red wines share many common aromas and flavors; both can be spicy, earthy, minerally or floral. But the apple, pear and citrus flavors in many white wines seldom show up in reds, and the dark currant, cherry and plum flavors of red grapes usually do not appear in whites.

Here are some other pairing principles to consider:

4. Structure and texture matter

Ideally, a wine’s components are in balance, but you can affect that balance, for better or worse, with the food pairing. Elements in a dish can accentuate or diminish the acidity and sweetness of a wine (and vice versa), as well as the bitterness of its tannins.

High levels of acidic ingredients, such as lemon or vinegar, for example, benefit high-acid wines by making them feel softer and rounder in comparison. On the other hand, tart food can turn balanced wines flabby.

Sweetness on the plate can make a dry wine taste sour, but pairs well with a bit of sweetness in the wine; as long as a wine balances its sugar with enough natural acidity (such as German Rieslings and demi-sec Champagnes), it can work very well with many dishes.

Tannic, structured red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo and Syrah counterbalance the fat in a well-marbled steak. (Lisovskaya/Getty Images)

Tannins interact with fats, salt and spicy flavors. Rich, fatty dishes such as steak diminish the perception of tannins, making a robust wine such as a Cabernet seem smoother, as do lightly salty foods like Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. However, very salty foods increase the perception of tannins and can make a red wine seem harsh and astringent; salt likewise accentuates the heat of a high-alcohol wine. Very spicy flavors also tend to react badly with tannins and high alcohol, making the wines feel hotter; such dishes fare better with fruity or lightly sweet wines.

5. Look for flavor links

This is where pairing can be endless fun. The aromatics of wine often remind us of foods such as fruits, herbs, spices and butter. You can create a good match by including ingredients in a dish that echo—and therefore emphasize—the aromas and flavors in a wine. For a Cabernet, for example, currants in a dish may bring out the wine’s characteristic dark fruit flavors, while a pinch of sage could highlight hints of herbs.

On the other hand, similar flavors can have a “cancellation effect”—balancing each other out so that other aspects of a wine come out more strongly. Serving earthy mushrooms with an earthy red might end up giving more prominence to the wine’s fruit character.
6. Give consideration to age

Aged wines present a different set of textures and flavors. As a wine matures, the power of youth eventually subsides; the tannins soften, and the wine may become more delicate and graceful. Fresh fruit flavors may give way to earthy and savory notes, as the wine takes on more complex, secondary characteristics. When choosing dishes for older wines, tone down the richness and big flavors and look for simpler fare that allows the nuances to shine through. For example, rather than a grilled, spice-rubbed steak with an older Cabernet, try lamb braised for hours in stock.

Entire books have been written on the subject of food-and-wine pairing, and you can have a lifetime of fun experimenting with different combinations. If you’d like to learn more, become a WineSpectator.com member.

A refreshing glass of sparkling wine cuts through fatty and salty dishes—from soft cheeses to fried chicken—to cleanse the palate for the next bite. (Lucy Schaeffer Photography)
Weighing Your Options: Lists of Wines by Body

Matching by weight is the foundation of the old rule about white wine with fish and red wine with meat. That made perfect sense in the days when white wines were mostly light and fruity and red wines were mostly tannic and weighty. But today, color-coding does not always work.

Like human beings, wines come in all dimensions. To match them with food, it’s useful to know where they fit in a spectrum, with the lightest wines at one end and fuller-bodied wines toward the other end. For perspective, we offer the following lists of commonly encountered wines.

OK, purists, you’re right: Some Champagnes are more delicate than some Rieslings, and some Sauvignon Blancs are bigger than some Chardonnays, but we’re painting with broad strokes here. When you’re searching for a light wine to go with dinner, pick one from a category at the top of the list. When you want a bigger wine, look toward the end.

To make your own classic matches, start off on the traditional paths and then deviate a little. Don’t get stuck on Cabernet with red meats—look up and down the list and try Zinfandel or Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Instead of Burgundy or Pinot Noir with sautéed mushrooms, try a Barbera or a red Bordeaux. That’s the way to put a little variety into your wine life without straying too far from the original purpose.
Selected dry and off-dry white wines, lightest to weightiest:

High-acid white wines stand up well to many vegetable-based dishes, including acidic ones like a fresh tomato gazpacho. (Joe St. Pierre)

  

 These links will take you to Wine Spectator Articles:  Click blue link then click on link that appears and click on link on redirect page.
 
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