THE PERFECT GUEST WINE

A foodie and wine lover has invited you to be their guest for dinner. It’s customary to bring a bottle of wine.

But for a WINE EXPERT? Many people would be standing in front of a wall of wine in the Kroger or the Piggly Wiggly with sweat beading on the forehead.

So, let’s keep it simple.

If your host is a red wine lover, with a New World fruit-forward palate, choose something from Argentina. Try to go for a Malbec that’s higher elevation single vineyard, if it won’t break the bank.

Bravo, dinner guests. You didn’t even need to be told.

If your host is a red wine lover, with an Old World palate, choose what I call Old Reliable: a Côtes du Rhône from the south of France. These wines are inexpensive, reliable food wines. They’re blends comprised primarily of Grenache. I call them crusty bread sandwich wines in the park grass on summer day, or a bubbly chunky soup wine on a winter’s evening.

Salut!

WAIT. What if they love white wine? (If they’re wine lovers, of COURSE they do!) Here are some reliables:

• oaked California Chardonnay for the New World palate

• European Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre, white Bordeaux, Alto Adige) for the Old World palate

• rosé from the south of France (I know you’re seeing a pattern here)

Still worried? Get bubbles. Who doesn’t like Champagne, or for a better value, Spanish Cava?

Happy guesting!