JULY 1 2007
AMERICANWAY 65
Spaghetti andmeatballs,with
sauce froma jar
Feeling lazy?Noworries. You
still deservea taste extrava-
ganza.
The easy choice:Make it a
regional pairingand choosea
Nerod’Avola fromSicily.One
ofWesson’s “favoritego-to
wines”whenhe can’tfindany-
thingelseonawine list, these
medium-bodiedbabiesmade
fromanancient grape “rarely
disappoint.”Headds: “It should
beboundwith the ragù. They
shouldbe soldas apair. They’re
twins separatedat birth.”
Theadventure:The twinhas
some competition—aPrimi-
tivo fromPuglia.Made from
the samegrapeasZinfandel,
Primitivos are “moremedium-
bodiedwines that arewildly
food friendly,” saysWesson.
EASY:
CusumanoNerod’Avola
2005 ($12)
AdvENtuRE:
Li Veli Orion
Primitivo2005 ($12)
Spring saladwithgrilled chick-
en, chickpeas, loads of different
vegetables, and feta cheese
Whether it’smadeof leftovers
you’ve thrown together or it’s
something you’veplanned from
theget-go, this salad calls for
awine that’s light, refreshing,
andmodest inalcohol.
The easy choice:FruitySau-
vignonBlancwines fromNew
Zealandare “inanascendant
state right now,” saysWesson,
and youwon’t have to spend
more than$15 for adelicious
example.
Theadventure:Try the same
wine fromadifferentpart of
theworld. SauvignonBlancs
fromSouthAfricaarealso com-
ing into theirownas “vinous
stars.”Ravesourwineguy: “The
best examples areessentially
amped-upversionsofwhat you
get fromNewZealand.”
EASY:
GiesenMarlborough
SauvignonBlanc2006 ($12)
AdvENtuRE:
Buitenverwachting
SauvignonBlanc2005 ($15)
Hard cheese and crackers
Youalways keep these staples
onhand for thedrop-by-
unannounced types. A few
sturdy redswillwaitwith
themwith ease.Medium- to
full-bodied reds are the safest
betswithfirm cheeses (soft
and semi-soft cheeses gobetter
with light- tomedium-bodied
unoakedwhites).
Theeasy choice:A redCôtes
duRhône. Theseblendsof up
to 15different grapevarieties
“havebeen refinedoverdecades
of blending to thepointwhere
the topwinesare farbetter than
the sumof theirparts,”Wes-
son says. They’regreatwines to
alwayshaveonhand. Justdon’t
store them in the cupboard
aboveyour fridge (better in the
broom closet orunder thebed
—or any cool place that’sdark
and free fromvibration).
Theadventure:Ah, anAr-
gentineMalbec. Stockupon
this reliablewine.Malbecs in
the$10 to$15 range “deliver
thegoods inboatloads,” says
Wesson. “Theydon’tmakea
fuss; they’re there toplease.”
They’ll treat your tastebuds
well,whether youpair them
with cheeseand crackers, cold
steak, or take-out barbecued
ribs.
EASY:
Paul JabouletAîné
Parallèle “45” 2005 ($12)
AdvENtuRE:
Graffigna “G”
Malbec2004 ($14)
Peanut-butter-and-jelly
sandwich
Whether it’s a latenight or just
a lazynight, PB&Js deserve to
be servedwith (and require)
awine that’s refreshing and a
bit sweet.
The easy choice:Don’t
laugh:Wessonwants you
toopen yourmind toWhite
Zinfandel.He calls thepairing
withPB&J “WhiteZin’shigh-
est andbest use.
[
It’s
]
easy to
malign, but it givesmilka run
for itsmoney.”
Theadventure:For ahigh-
end experience, gowitha
demi-secChampagne. They’re
the “driest versionof ades-
sertChampagne, but aren’t so
sweet as to ever taste cloying,”
he says. And youwon’t even
needa spoon to clear the topof
yourpalateof lingeringpeanut
butter— theChampagne’s
scrubbingbubbleswill take
careof that for you.
EASY:
BuehlerVineyardsNapa
ValleyWhiteZinfandel 2005
($10)
AdvENtuRE:
VeuveClicquot
PonsardinDemi-SecChampagne
NV ($48)
Canned chickennoodle soup
Liquidon liquid is, forgive the
pun, a “slippery slope,” says
Wesson.
The easy choice:Portuguese
VinhoVerdesprovidea re-
freshingbreak from the salt in
canned soup. The lightlybub-
blybeverage is also just plain
fun todrink.
Theadventure:Foran
“esoteric combination,”Wes-
son suggestsaFinoSherry.The
fortifiedwine,which isa swell
match for salty foods,will feel
heavier than the soup, upending
the texture contrastprovidedby
the lightheartedVinhoVerde.
EASY:
FamegaVinhoVerde
2006 ($6)
AdvENtuRE:
DomecqDryFino
La InaSherryNV ($17)
Barbecued ribswitha slightly
sweet vinegar-basedwet rub
It’s all aboutwildly fruity reds
