What to choose, oh my, who will win my love tonight?!!!
For those of you in the dating arena, I feel your pain! Picking just the right partner or date for the night simply cannot be easy! Apparently, the same is true for picking wine. At least for some, that is! We had the pleasure of celebrating a new graduate on the patio of a local fave restaurant the other eve and just this challenge presented itself.
Am I serious? Yes, absolutely! Hugs and greetings were followed by drink orders from our waitress. Once again, I’m the last to select. I scoured the by-the-glass options and finally made my selection. I think I swiped left, (or is it right? candidly I’ve never been on a dating app!) and worked my way through the list. Boom, an Italian rosé! Perfect fit for patio dining at an Italian restaurant. Glass in hand. Cheers and toasts given. I was set.
Why did you pick that particular wine?
Just as the conversations settled in, one of my friends looked me right in the eye and asked just that question. ”Why did you pick that particular wine?” Interesting, I never been asked that directly about my dinner wine selection when everyone else at the table was having a cocktail! I paused, I smiled and I started to unwind the process for him.
First, I explained, I knew I wanted a white wine so I took inventory of all the whites offered by the glass. Seemed like a reasonable place to start! Next, I decided what I did not want. Chardonnay from Monterrey. Not this evening. Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough. A little too citrus for the dish I was eyeing. Pinot Grigio from Fruili. Interesting option but my mood was taking me toward something a little more complex.
Prosecco and a few other bubbles were on the list, but truth is I had consumed more than my fair share of Cava that afternoon (don’t judge! post golf round celebration in 97 degree Texas heat – you with me?) Did any of these win my love for the night? Not so fast. Scrolling down, I found my date. My partner for the night! Rosé from Campania. Ooooohhh… now you’re talking! Good acidity and fruitiness but a little more layers and body coming from the warmer western coast of Italy. The perfect date! Simple, right?!
Should I start my own wine dating app?
Thinking I had bored my friend to death with my descriptive iterations on how I navigated the wine list, he instead responded with a simple, ”Cool!” He’s a Jack and Diet Coke kind of guy so it was actually interesting to him to hear how those of us who like to think we know more about wine than we actually do make our selection. It was a great lesson for me as well having to actually describe the mental process I used to end up with a yummy rosé in my glass!
However you choose your wine at dinner or when shopping, keep a few tips in mind to help navigate the vast dating world of wine. Decide what you do not want and cross those off your list from the start. This can be as simple as deciding on red, white or rosé. If pairing with food, start with the simple rule of picking a wine from the same region as your cuisine. As food and wine pairings could take us on an encyclopedic journey neither of us has time for right now, I’ll once again suggest educating yourself on wine basics. No better place to do so than with DOMSOM wine education! Or check out my W.O.W. episodes where I always ask what my guest would suggest for a perfect food pairing.
Here’s to finding your perfect match, your perfect love, and the perfect wine to make your day amazing!
Cheers! 🥂
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