Best snacks/easy food with Red Wine??

[mrdutton]

Hard cheeses and red wines mix nicely. High salt concentrations don't do well with reds with a lot of tannins (since the salt emphasizes the bitterness of the tannin). Try drinking a Riesling or a Gewurztraminer with smoked, salty, hard cheeses.

Try Parmesan, Asiago, Gruyere and nicely aged Cheddars from England or America with your medium to full bodied reds. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo comes to mind as does Cabernet Sauvignon. Barolo, Barbaresco (and even Champagne, which of course is not red) would work, also.

Brie with whites from burgundy - except I've also liked tasting brie encroutte with light to medium bodied reds - such as Beaujolais or Pinot Noir. I've also enjoyed Brie and seafood with Prosecco.

Other snacks...... sausages and such with light to medium bodied reds. Shell fish with French Chardonnay, oysters with Champagne. Crab meat with Alsatian Pinot Gris, Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc or Prosecco.

The very best way to figure out what YOU like with your snacks is to try several different items with several different wines. You'll learn quickly which ones you like and don't like.........

When I serve snacks with crackers, I usually opt for the lighter crackers such as Carrs Water Crackers. They provide a platform for serving the snack without significantly changing the flavor.

[This message has been edited by mrdutton (edited 12-05-2000).]