If I am drinking beer or wine I do not want food. Once I start eating I am done drinking. I have always been like that. My uncle is the same way. For me Steak and a nice Cabernet Sauvignon is not that appealing. I tried cheese with wine and I do not like that either. I am not sure why. I think of alcoholic beverages contributing to thirst rather than quenching it. After I put food in my mouth my taste buds seem to become sensitive to the alcohol taste. Has anyone else noticed this or am I abnormal?

i don't know f you are abnormal ,

also i, don't like to drink and eat!
i like to eat excessivly
and i like wine. but i don't like to what is called "match".
i never felt that a dish helpt the wine and viceverce.

So we are in total agreement.

It's very difficult for me to drink much wine without food. When I TASTE wine, I prefer to do it without food.

Alcohol makes me thirsty also which is the reason why you always have water nearby while drinking wine.

I drink with and without food, but get different experiences with each. Wines that I would not like solo (without food) I tend to like when they are matched up with food. For example, I do not enjoy drinking an oaky chardonnay alone. I find the oak usually overpowers the wine and offends my taste buds. But with food to match, I actually enjoy it. The same goes with other wine varietals as well. And it works in reverse too - wine I like to drink solo I enjoy less with food.

One of my great joys of life is a beautiful meal with a wine that compliments the food.

I consider wine part of the dinner table. My preference is for "food friendly" wines that enhance a meal rather than overwhelm it.

My idea of "food friendly" is generally from a cool climate, dry, with low alcohol, some acidity and light-medium bodied.

Perhaps you would enjoy these types of wine with your meals. If not, nothing wrong with enjoying wine as a cocktail.

Well said Purple Teeth.

Certain wines (especially big reds) are a waste without food. It enhances both.

You can only dine with wine.

In one of the Bunuel's films guests are gathered at the table surrounded by toilets instead of chairs. As the event begins, the guests unzip to enjoy a bowel movement in a friendly, non-judgmental environment supported by carefree chit-chat. Later, when someone gets hungry, they excuse themselves politely and proceed to a separate small room where diner is served in total privacy. I’m trying to remember if wine was served...and where.

quote:

Originally posted by grunhauser:
In one of the Bunuel's films guests are gathered at the table surrounded by toilets instead of chairs. As the event begins, the guests unzip to enjoy a bowel movement in a friendly, non-judgmental environment supported by carefree chit-chat. Later, when someone gets hungry, they excuse themselves politely and proceed to a separate small room where diner is served in total privacy. I’m trying to remember if wine was served...and where.

In a round about way are you suggesting a theme for an offline?

quote:

Originally posted by spo1977:
In a round about way are you suggesting a theme for an offline?

quote:

Originally posted by spo1977:

quote:

Originally posted by grunhauser:
In one of the Bunuel's films guests are gathered at the table surrounded by toilets instead of chairs. As the event begins, the guests unzip to enjoy a bowel movement in a friendly, non-judgmental environment supported by carefree chit-chat. Later, when someone gets hungry, they excuse themselves politely and proceed to a separate small room where diner is served in total privacy. I’m trying to remember if wine was served...and where.

In a round about way are you suggesting a theme for an offline?

Spo1977 you are catching on!!! I like your work

I read this somewhere that California (and new world wines for that matter)are meant to be consumed alone. French and other old world wines go well with food. The last few French Wines I bought I enjoyed at least part of the bottle with food. I think I want to have a Syrah with my Carne Asada next time. A leg of Lamb would also work well I suppose.

I just had a tri-tip with a Petite Sirah. Very nice. I don't know if I even missed the coka-cola.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: spo,

With the bump of this thread and my finally reading it, as I was plowing my way through the thread I was thinking specifically of Petite Sirah as a wine that I didn't enjoy drinking without food (beef, in this case). There are a lot of easy drinking, stand alone wines out there that can be enjoyed on their own. But sometimes that pairing with food can be something special. And there's certainly nothing wrong with having a separate glass of water or coke to slake your thirst if that's what you prefer. I'd definitely recommend that you continue exploring wine and food combinations - it's a fun exploration!

Early in the thread, spo1977 mentioned that eating while drinking wine seemed to result in "becoming senstive to the alcohol taste"... This has sometimes been my experience also.

--There is real truth in suggestions to drink cool-climate (tradionally lower alcohol) wines with food, rather than the beefy monsters which are so fashionable.
---Also consider the chemistry of the food. I was taught, for example, that cream-based foods (the chemical reaction of cream, wine, and saliva) will exagerate the perception of alcohol... often throwing a wine "out of balance".

For me, good wine is something of a barely afforded luxury; as such, I tend to favour letting it revel in center stage.

quote:

---Also consider the chemistry of the food. I was taught, for example, that cream-based foods (the chemical reaction of cream, wine, and saliva) will exagerate the perception of alcohol... often throwing a wine "out of balance".

Remember this: Food CHANGES the way wine tastes. Sounds easy enough right?

Important food/wine things to remember: sugar in the food will generally make the wine taste more astringent and bitter. Not desirable.

Salt in the food will generally mute wine, dumb it down. A balanced dish will actually work flavour wise with a lot more options in the wine world than people currently consider.

When pairing wines look at the dominant flavour profile in the food: salty/sweet/bitter/spicy. Understanding how the different factors effect ones palate and ultimately the wine you're drinking goes along way in pairing up wines with food.

Once you do that you can actually start to match wines with flavour profiles of wines. Rather than looking at varietals you can look at wines that fit within a category that is goiing to react well with your food.

If you were to place all the wines in the world into five basic categories: 1)fruity/sweet(perhaps off-dry or sweet) 2)light/med whites no oak 3)med bodied/full whites, oak influenced. 4)lighter reds 5)med/full reds.
And then understand why it is they are put in that category in the first place you would have no problem figuring out how/if certain foods and wines were going to react.

Or, just stick to white with chicken/fish, red with meat.

Informative post, thanks jump.