Solving the Season’s Wine-Pairing Problem

The fall is one of the busiest social seasons of the year.  With football gamedays, holiday hostings and family and friend gatherings, our homes become open doors to entertaining.  Since these occasions are supposed to be fun and full of delight, you should not stress over what wines are most appropriate to serve.

Conventional wisdom recommends that one should serve wines that best compliment the food being served, whether that be chicken wings for the game, a cheese plate or Grandma Rosie’s oyster stuffing.  However, Napa Valley based Master of Wine Tim Hanni suggests that instead of focusing on the food, focus on your guests.  Instead of trying to match your wine to favor your bites being served, make sure your wine fits your family and friends enjoying it.  No two people are alike, and all have different palates for wine just as they do for food.  According to Hanni’s research, wine drinkers fall into four basic categories–or Vinotypes–ranging from those who enjoy sweeter wines to those who prefer more robust wines.  With so many different reasons to celebrate during this time of year, you do not want to have to worry about what to serve at each. So do not stress over what is conventional, but serve what you think will be most enjoyed.  You want your guests to savor everything offered and the more comfortable they are, the better the occasion will be.  So do not worry if you know Meg likes white wine but your recipe says to pair with red, focus on making your guests happy and this will not only take stress out of your planning, but also will allow everyone to have a great time, and make you look like the perfect host!