WINE WITH DINNER – Dining out?

I’ve noticed that more and more people today are cutting back on the number of drinks they order when dining out. Some may do it to save money in this tight economy, but I suspect that others want to cut back on the total alcohol they are consuming, and I am now one of them. My alcohol tolerance is fairly low, so, when I have a Scotch before dinner, I now just order a wine by the glass with dinner, rather than ordering a whole bottle to split with my wife. Or I start off with a glass of Prosecco (my favorite) with the appetizer and then my wife and I either split a bottle of wine with dinner or order wine by the glass. Also, we drink more water with our meals than we used to and, more often than not, we skip having any after dinner drinks.

If you share my concern about consuming too much alcohol with dinner, here’s another tip when ordering a bottle of wine to go with your meal. When the wine steward or waiter brings the bottle for you to check the name on the label and the vintage year before it is opened, note the alcohol percentage printed on the label as well. Most dinner wines run between 12% and 14% alcohol. But some of them can be 15% or 16% or higher, which is more than what is found in many Fino Sherries! In this regard, be wary of the heavier-bodied Australian reds, California Zinfandels, Italian Amarone and French Chateauneuf-du-Papes. When presented with such wines to inspect, if you think that the alcohol percentage on the label is too high for you, just ask for something similar, but lower in alcohol. Bon Appétit! – Jay Roelof – www.suburbanwines.com