Introduction "What wine should I drink with ...?" remains the eternal question of consumers and wine professionals alike, about every food and at every levelfrom wary novice to wine pro. Why? After all, it's pretty unlikely anyone ever ruined a meal with the "wrong" wine choice, isn't it? I think the answer is as simple as this: most everybody loves to eat. (Many of us admit we live to eat!) And we spend a great deal of time thinking about enjoying foodnot only in the here and now, but often long before and after the cooking (or ordering) and eating. In fact, I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the taste and feeling of food have the power to inspire some of our most vivid memories, our wildest fantasies, and our noblest feats of creativity and collaboration. For example, H-O-M-E and all its comforts are captured in a single bite of Mom's meatloaf. That glinting, inaugural plate of oysters, or first heady whiff of the cheese cart on your Paris getaway, consummates months of pre-trip escapist longings. And from the Barbecue Rendezvous in Memphis, to the Gilroy, California, garlic festival, thousands of far-flung strangers regularly manage, with masterful precision, the complex logistics of gathering to share a giant fix of a favorite food. Pretty impressive, really. And it's no wonder we're so food-obsessed, because our first mind-blowing mouthful usually happens early onperhaps a milk-dunked donut or a particularly well-constructed PB&J. When those flavor stars align, eating is no longer simply fueling. In terms of taste, you've blasted off. And thus begins a lifelong pursuit of that same ecstasy just about anytime the food and the time at hand permit more than simply a fill-up. We also happily discover that high-flying flavor potential isn't limited to a luxury restaurant. It can be anything, from Mom's macaroni and cheese to a celebrity chef's signature lobster bisque. Good food, plain or fancy, can be a died-and-gone-to-heaven experience. Then comes wine. Like food, it tastes good and feels good. For most of us, it's new, vast, ancient, and mysterious. It offers us a taste of exotic places and flavors (though sometimes at exotic prices, too!). It also brings uncertainty. But still, we're very intrigued because we've had those out-of-body food experiences. So we wonder, "Can wine make food even better?" It stands to reason, because we know that the Europeans, justly famous for their eating and drinking lifestyle, have been enjoying wine with their mealsdaily, not just on special occasionsfor millennia. And we're talking lunch and dinner. I think every food lover and wine drinker yearns for a shot at those frequent flavor and pleasure possibilities. I also think that most of us feel stymied by one or more of these obvious hurdles: wine confusion, cost concerns, and, most frustrating of all, the rules. The first snag, wine confusion, affects all of us, even Master Sommeliers, to one degree or another. While it is true that the typical wine label is chock-full of information, quite often the only bits with clear meaning are "alcohol by volume" and the price taghardly enough to clue you in to what the wine will taste like, or guide you to a potential food partner. And sometimes it's just enough to prejudice you against it, too. I think it's fair to say that few of us like to gamble a lot on whether we'll like something we're about to eat or drink. Even fewer of us are willing to do so when the money stakes are high, and the fact is that for the average person, drinking wine with dinner represents a conscious choice to spend more than we

The author ofGreat Wine Made Simplenow adds great eating to her repertoire, showing how to enhance the flavor of even the most casual meals with winning wine selections. Most wine experts' advice on wine and food pairings consists of rigid rules that apply largely to haute cuisine and luxury wines. But, in her trademark accessible style, Andrea Immer now takes the mystery out of choosing wine for foodand vice versa.Great Tastes Made Simpleunlocks the secrets of basic food tastessweet, earthy, savory, buttery, tart, and spicyand their particular wine affinities. Giving even ordinary meals extraordinary flavor, Immer shows readers how to bring the flavor alchemy of wine to everyday fare from burgers (with Zinfandel) to macaroni and cheese (with Rioja Crianza). She calls Pinot Grigio her "tuna helper" and likes barbecued brisket with Valpolicella. There's also plenty of more sophisticated eating, including smoked salmon and Riesling; asparagus hollandaise and Champagne; wild mushroom risotto and California Pinot Noir, to name a few upscale matches. In fact, there isn't a food or category of foodincluding a panoply of cheeses, ethnic foods, and dessertsfor which Immer doesn't provide a match and the reasons why they work so well. Chart of mouthwatering pairings and an easy-to-use index make finding wonderful wine and food combinations a snap. Zeroing in on "wine-loving food"those flavors, textures, and cooking techniques that truly dazzle when paired with wineImmer demonstrates how to get the maximum enjoyment out of every food and wine encounter. A selection of twenty recipesLow Country Shrimp and Grits (think Chardonnay), Beet Risotto (Pinot Noir), Short Rib Ragu (brawny reds), and Warm Chocolate Torte (Madeira)provides delicious examples of wine-loving dishes and cooking techniques that will become part of every wine-loving cook's repertoire. Invaluable in restaurant settings and at home, this innovative guide can make every meal a cause for celebration.