Wine Tasting & Fine Dining

Wine and fine dining go together like pie and ice cream.

Many would agree aÂ bottle of wine shared is the perfectÂ accompanimentÂ at your favorite restaurant, whether youâ€™re partaking in fine dining for a special occasion or just to celebrate with good friends. It’s also ok to bring your own bottle of wine in a still fashionable paper bag at a soon-to-be discovered hole-in-the-wall, where everyone knows your name. Or, perhaps your wine credenza is stashed with wine bottles of many vintages and you enjoy serving wine with a home cooked meal; candlelight optional.Â

The wine industry has exploded with wine experts who share their knowledge at wine tastings, wine festivals,Â wine classes,Â wine tips, wine books. Today we haveÂ wine e-commerce, wine credenzas, wine storage options, wine refrigerators, wine magazines, wine newsletters, wine seminars, wine bars, wine tasting, wine dinners, wine careers, wine franchises, and wine tours and wine tourism.Â More than a decade ago, wine drinking was thought to be a snooty pursuit for the rich and wannabe-famous but now wine is accessible and affordable. Ordering a wine flight while you’re out is a great way to taste a variety of new wines. So is joining a wine club. Good wines can be consumed for less than $5 a bottle and great wines can be consumed for less than $10 a bottle. Of course, if the wallet has no rules - the sky is the limit.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â

Wine regions include not only the traditional France and Italy but California, from the Temecula Valley to world-famous Napa and Somona. The movie, Sideways, put Central coastal Santa Barbara on the map along with boosting the popularity of Pinot Noir. Celebrity turnout put the Naples Florida Wine Festival on the map (all for a good cause as well.) Exciting vintages from Australia, Argentina, Spain, Chile, and parts of Oregon and Washington continue to surprise the palate. Let’s not forget California organic wine either.

Whether itâ€™s a rare slab of steak with hearty Cabernet, or seafood pasta with sophisticated Chardonnay, or spicy poblano chicken enchiladas with a slightly sweet GewÃ¼rztraminer - pairing wines and food should be an artful journey just as sharing it with good friends is.

We’d like to share some ofÂ our memorableÂ times and hopefully inspire you on your own journey to discover good wine and fine dining pleasures.

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