Mark: What do I say to people who don't read and don't respond to what was SAID? If people want to discuss wine pairings, fine, but that was NOT what this thread was about. The OP expressed disappointment with her wine-drinking experience. She was apparently given advice that she did not understand (she said she was advised, by a party unknown to us to go with a Riserva) in that a Riserva is usually a big, bold, well-aged wine. Jose and several others have talked about wine-food (meal) pairings and how important those can be, when she is not interested in that and has flatly stated such in reply to my posts. I can only vent my frustration that however Jose and I and you might agree on the nature of suitable accompaniment, Jenn to all appearances does not care in the slightest. She just wants to drink wine with "the girls" on Friday nights. I would simply say to such a person that any fruity light white wine would be fine for such drinking, but not most full-bodied reds, which DEMAND a real dinner, not a snack, as accompaniment. Is that clear enough? Is that polite enough? Answer the questions posed, not what you want to discuss!