What wines work well if people are eating different foods?
When everyone has their own entrée in front of them – a steak here, fish there, vegetarian pasta, chicken – it can be hard to open one bottle of wine that will balance well with everything: Cabernet goes great with the steak, but overwhelms the sea bass. Or Pinot Grigio complements the shrimp, but seems flavorless with the lamb. The most cooperative wines in cases like these are lighter-bodied, low tannin reds, or rich, full-bodied whites. Pinot Noir, for example. Red, but generally lighter; it’ll stand up to steak but won’t overwhelm the fish. It also tends to have higher acidity than say, a Cabernet, which means it will complement a tomato sauce and fish (Think of the acidity in that lemon you squeeze over your salmon). On the white side, those big California Chardonnays are powerful enough to balance with a steak, but the flavors don’t cover the subtleties of chicken or halibut. These wines may not highlight each dish perfectly but they won’t ruin anybody’s meal, either.
