wines 'n veggies

[Dark]

Hi all. I'm new around here, and probably quite sacreligiously, mostly a non-drinker. I do like to cook and entertain, however, so I need an education when it comes to wine.

My question of the moment is this: I'm planning a seven-course french meal for a New Years Eve dinner party and it will be almost completely vegetarian. What would you recommend as an accompanying wine?

Thanks much.

[Jerry D Mead]

Once again knowing the specific veggie dishes and how they prepared and seasoned would help.

In general terms, with most green veggies and like lighter, crisp white wines...Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre, Soave or Frascati.

Riesling and Gewurztraminers too.

With meatier veggies...mushrooms, potatoes, yams (if not prepared too sweet), carrots etc...I like Pinot Noir.

[Thomas]

Hey Dark, I always advise people not to think of the wine with dinner as a drink. I am a non-drinker too, of distilled spirits (except the occasional brandy). But I drink wine at every dinner.

[Dark]

First of all, for the Curmudgeon, here's my menu to date. First course: pates(one eggplant and one chicken), a red kidney bean and garlic salad, and a sort of relish tray(olives, both green and black, marinated mushrooms, beet slices, and a pickled veggies mix). Second course: french onion soup, w/ a slice of toasted french bread on top and gruyere melted over all. Third course: crepes, w/ assorted fillings(still undecided, but probably at least one mushroom and one perhaps chicken). Fourth course: fresh green beans and potatoes au gratin. Fifth course: fresh mixed green salad w/ vinagrette dressing. Sixth course: assorted cheeses(brie, smoked gouda, chevres, port-salut, and a sharp cheddar). Seventh course: key lime mousse and creme brulee w/ blueberries.

And if anyone would care to recommend wines to me that I might enjoy, the only alcohol I've discovered a liking for is hard cider, so I don't know what that tells you about my palate.

Thanks for the replies so far.

[Thomas]

Dark, you issue a challenge, not in the menu, but in your final sentence. It is clear that many of the wine pairings that come to my mind are likely to turn you off, if only because you have yet to explore the varying tastes of dry wine, wines with high or low alcohol, wines of fruitiness or steeliness, wines aged inwood, and so on.

In my view, you would be better served to stay with one or two styles of wine, say, a fruity blush or rose (pink wines), and maybe a fruity, slightly sweet Riesling (get American, the price of the good German ones might scare you away). Come to think of it, you might like Chenin Blanc.

[Thomas]

Incidentally, Dark, chicken is not a vegetable...

[Dark]

I know this; I said mostly vegetarian, not completely vegetarian. Chicken occurs twice in the menu out of a dozen dishes; I'd say that qualifies as mostly vegetarian. 8)

And, yes, I guess that was a bit of a challenge, since I do have a basically untested palate when it comes to wine, and therefore can't tell you what I've disliked in the past; I am genuinely curious to know what people would recommend for me, however, so I'd be interested in hearing more.