Food Rules #43: Have a glass of wine with dinner

This is the last rule of Section 2 of the book Food Rules and maybe I'm biased, but I really really like this rule. And I find it very very easy to follow! Obviously we've all heard about the presence of wine in the Mediterranean diet, particularly France & Italy...and many more of us here in America are incorporating wine into our routines. Decanter Magazine recently wrote an article about US Wine Consumption, stating that it rose 2% in 2009 (I believe that number is smaller than in should be, probably attributed to the recession). We certainly saw and continue to see wine sales grow at our shops. I attribute this to an increasingly-savvy group of wine drinkers! Our weekly wine tastings showcase wines new to the shops, many of unusual or rarely-known varietals. People are trying new things, and are really into all the great wine that's out there. More than ever we're hearing people ask for wines to match with certain dishes. People are really interested in the cynergy between wine & food, and with the weather turning and people cooking more, it's a welcome challenge to us to try to find wines that keep people trying new things but that will also complement the foods they're cooking now: risottos, more meat, fondues, soups, braised anything!

Wine can be so many things to so many people: it can be a complex drink that needs to be dissected with every glass; it can be a way to wind down at the end of a hectic day; it can just be something that complements the food we're cooking and allowing the flavors of the dish to shine through. Regardless, if you're drinking wine, let it be first be in moderation; and let it be something you enjoy! We hope our customers enjoy the $9 bottle as much as the $20 bottle, because wine should hopefully be about pleasure as much as possible!

This rule is the last before the start of the 3rd section of the book, entitled "How Should I Eat? (Not too Much)". You may recall that section 1 was called "What Should I Eat (Eat Food); Section 2 "What Kind of Food Should I Eat? (Mostly Plants)". I hope you'll continue with me on this blog thru the last few rules (there are 64 total). My goal is to wrap those up by year end so I can start a new topic to Blog about in the new year. That topic is still being decided, but it will be something that continues to be relevant to our mission here at PFW!