I'm really glad you're finding them helpful. Cheers and enjoy your wine journey!

Thank you! I'm glad it was helpful. Cheers!

Bytheway.. dark chocolate and cab sav, amazing pairing.. to avoid, olives and pinot noir..

Thanks for the great advice. Cheers!

Thanks for watching! Cheers!

Thanks! I try to talk about a little bit of everything on here, so I hope this is helpful to folks. I haven't used Vivino, do you recommend it?

The Unknown Winecaster Yes, I use it all the time and it's a great way to see the standard "likeablility" of a wine and to store your personal wine library! When you taste a lot of wines it's easy to forget if you've had that vintage before. Plus it contains lots of info. Also a great way to make a community with other wine ppl.

I'm guessing you just ask the food what it wants to be paired with.

Wafer-thin mint: I think it's a chocolate mint; so, Ruby Port-style made from Syrah. Howard's being eaten: They look like salmon to me, and I love Salmon meunière, so a rich white Burgundy, maybe a Meursault, from a warm year. Christmas in Heaven: If Christmas is savory -- a big, over-the-top, culty California Cab. We're talking Screaming Eagle, here. That said, since this is technically the dessert course, you might go with a nice Brachetto d'Acqui. I always get mulling spices on nose with BdA's. Thanks for the challenge and cheers!

Thanks so much ! Here's my latest pairing menu. Please tell me what you think - your opinion is highly valued ! first, these are some wine rules for pairing that I've learned about recently, do you agree ? : 1 acid with acid - citrus, or tomato sauce with acidic wines 2 fat with tannins 3 heat with sweet 4 salty needs bubbles - similar to beer and potato ships 5 earthy needs earthy - syrah and pinot noir with mushrooms Here's my menu so far. most are my own creations, some are modified versions of something I've seen. amuse buche: charcuterie with pumpkin oil and arugula, sea salt “soup two ways” vichisoisse made with white pepper and cream, creme fraiche, chive (oil), pear, red pepper corns, and croutons borsht with black pepper and cream, garnish with blue cheese emulsion, dill (oil) and garlic chips and cracked black pepper paired with light reds: gamay or pinot noir or maybe zinfandel "A tale of two tartes" One: tartiflette with watercress salad in vinaigrette with lemon zest and shallot Two: colorful cherry tomato tarte tatin with red pepper corns, drizzle balsamic reduction to finish pair: nero d’avola or dolcetto or barbera d’asti asian scallops big scallop on couliflower puree, around that veloute with turmeric for color, infused with ginger, lemongrass, scallion and garlic baked baby cauliflower, cut into thin fans. salad of charred napa cabbage, thinly sliced fennel, cucumber, with anis seed, rice wine vinagre and sake soy reduction dressing on top of the scallop a scoop of uni, on the side an egg confied in soy, and a tempura shallot ring, and a tempura green bean. finished with: lemon caviar kernels and black sesame seeds and sea salt paired with: chablis or sauv. blanc salad of poached artichokes in white wine and stock, quarter and pan sear for color, serve cold with salad of summer beans, peas, basil leaves, tomato, tomato essence (a la Raymond Blanc) toasted pine nuts, chickpea miso, harissa, and frico. paired with: syrah dessert course: pear poached in winter spices, star anise, and red wine, served whole with stem, and standing, with creme de marron at the base , maybe drizzle with chocolate for some lines across the plate. (cream element needed ? ) pair with ... either dessert wine or champagne or calvados

I love these pairings! Here are the only places where I'd do something different: For "soup two ways" I'd definitely stick to the lighter reds with Gamay, especially Cru Beaujolais -- maybe a Morgon or another cru with some heft to it, being spot on. The tart and scallop pairings sound fantastic to me. I don't think artichokes do well with reds, even if they're dressed with heavier ingredients. I like a Txakoli from the Basque Country when I have artichokes. Champagne sounds lovely with the poached pear but at least sec or demi-sec sweetness. I would drizzle with white chocolate if you're going to do bubbles -- if you want a true chocolate/pear combo then think about a Madeira (which would also go well with the chestnuts) or a red Vin Doux Naturel. Thanks for sharing your suggestions. They made me hungry! Cheers!

Thanks a million for your excellent comments.

My pleasure! Cheers!