Wine Wonks, Watch Out
April 6, 2009 posted by David Leite
I don’t know if this ever happens to you, but sometimes people think just because I write about food (and certainly consume it in vast quantities) it automatically makes me a walking wine expert. At dinner parties, I’m asked what do I think of the [insert year here] [insert wine name here]? And this is usually coming from self-proclaimed wine wonks who are just waiting to see if they can catch me with my vinous pants down. And then when it comes to dining out, the others guests tend to defer to me when the wine list is handed out. (Where are those wine wonks when you need them?) Sure, I know my away around a list, but, still, that does make me a food and wine Yenta.
That’s why I was quite excited when pal and wine writer Natalie MacLean came out with her online wine and food matcher. You can search by food or by wine. Right this exact moment, at 6:25 p.m., I’m in the mood for some excellent Bleu de Gex, one of my favorite blue cheeses. Say I’m not up on good wine matches, I do a search, and–bam!–I see that two fine accompaniments are Barsac, a fruity, sweet dessert wine, or the less sweet Cotes-du-Jura, made from Pinot Noir, Poulsard, and Trousseau grapes.
And at the end of a long day of updating the site, the last thing I want to do is hurt my head thinking about wine pairings. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go buy some wine to go with my cheese.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
David Leite is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Leite's Culinaria. He has received three James Beard Awards for his writing as well as for Leite's Culinaria. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Pastry Art & Design, Food Arts, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Sun-Times, The Washington Post, Charlotte Observer, epicurious.com, and Ridgefield Magazine, where he was the food editor for three years.
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