Fine wines -- best without food?

[JamieGoode]

You all seem to disagree.

Well, for a start, there may be some misunderstanding here. One response was 'I can't imagine fine food without wine' -- nor can I, I'd find it difficult to have a nice meal without wine to accompany it. But I don't find it difficult to enjoy fine wine without food. Fine wine doesn't need help from food, and it certainly doesn't need competing flavours.

I would qualify my original statement a little: there are some fine wines that absolutely cry out for food, and that aren't that enjoyable on their own. But there are many that are just perfect alone.

In response to ChittyChatty, that's a broad question. I'm thinking about wines such as aged classed growth Bordeaux, older Hunter Valley Shiraz, Alsace grand cru with a bit of residual sugar, Premeier Cru white Burgundies with some bottle age, botrytised Chenin from the Loire, Sauternes, Barsac, aged Riesling Spatlese and Auslese....the list goes on

Jamie Goode
www.wineanorak.com