We have all been "trained" to believe that we should first plan the meal or choose an item from a restaurant menu and then decide what wine is apt to go best with it. If we are home we may go over to a wine rack that holds a few bottles left over from a party or family gathering and pick one that would seem to suit our needs. If we are in a restaurant we are victim to a wine list that is either thin in depth or overly intimidating to the casual drinker. If we're fortunate, the choice meets our primal liquid needs and doesn't wipe out our wallet. 

     But what if you became a "wine centric" food lover, where delighting in a favorite wine or trying one recommended by a friend (or a wine article) took priority over picking a protein? As you gain experience you will have an idea of what foods generally go with that wine choice, and those foods should enhance the pleasure of trying a particular wine. The wine then will lead you to setting up your home shopping list, possibly from the recipes we will be adding to our website, or help you select an entree in a restaurant.  

     Over the coming months we will build a collection of recipes with the intent of showcasing our wines, and probably many other wines not in our repertoire. Even though I have gone to culinary school and done some time in both "American Business" and French restaurants, my goal here is to not have you spend all day in the kitchen or require you to have a myriad of ingredients that cause making dinner a complete hastle. Drinking wine should be an enjoyable. 

     Try out some of these recipes and tell us how you did. Nothing beats dozens of test kitchens all contributing to a better experience. Bon appetit!

                                                                                                   Dave Sheldon