* *SOS I need wine advice**

etc.(rest of message snipped)

Sara

Your big problem is not knowing the menu. It's still a good rule to serve red wine with red meat, and white wine with fish and chicken, although there are exceptions. Generally, heavier meats with darker sauces take reds, and lighter sauced white meats take white wines. That suggests that a rich gravy or sauce may suggest a lighter red for chicken.

If you do not know the menu, I would suggest a good CA or OR Pinot Noir ($20 to $30). This will work with a lot of meals, including salmon, lamb, and turkey, and will be passable with beef tenderloin.

If the wine really turns out to be a bad match (eg if she serves shellfish or spicy chili), your MIL can always hold it, and serve it at another occasion. She should store it in a cool (70 deg or less), dark environment on its side.

Tom Schellberg

wine,

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A bottle of wine is an appropriate gift, but I wouldn't go far as to say it's customary. There are other appropriate gifts you might bring.

tommorrow

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is,

That certainly makes it harder, *if* you expect the wine you bring to be served. But at many dinners, the wines have already been selected, and the wine you bring won't be served (see the other thread here "Etiquette for host receiving wine".

It's not a matter if it being passe. Although it works in many cases, it was never a very accurate rule. It greatly depends, for example, on *what* fish it is, how it is prepared, how it is sauced, etc. For example, I'm very fond of grilled tuna, which I greatly prefer with red rather than white.

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and/or

I don't anything about Kroger, but my recommendation would be to go to a good wine store in your town, tell the owner or clerk what your budget is, and ask for a recommendation for a decent bottle of red wine. Whatever you bring, it may not be served, and if a white is more appropriate for what the food is, the hosts will almost certainly serve a white and save your wine for another time.

Or bring flowers instead.

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (Sara) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m06.aol.com:

One pretty safe and yet good wine to go with is a Chianti Classico. It goes well with a variety of dishes and works well on its own as well. You will spend about $20 on such a bottle

As noted you will probably not see it served, but will be safe in assuming that it will be appreciated regardless of the palate of the recipient.

A nice custom that should be encouraged!

The red with red meat and white with fish is still a good basic, but there are no hard and fast rules. More important is the fact that you should not expect the wine to be served. If your host (future MIL or anyone), is wine savvy, they probably already have an appropriate wine chosen for their meal. You can expect them to thank you and put the bottle aside. That is not an insult, an affront, or a statement that they think your gift isn't good enough. If they do choose to serve your wine, that's fine as well.

Might I suggest, that if you have a Kroger, you also probably have a wine/liquor store available that will have a broader selection and better quality of wine. If you are willing to go as high as $40, don't spend it at a grocery store. Go a place that sells more than jug wines and ask the clerk for a recommendation.

At $20-40 you can get a nice Pinot Noir, a beautiful Zinfandel (not "white zin"), a quality bottle of Australian Shiraz, a wonderful California Chardonnay, etc. etc. Talk to the clerk about what you like or what you think your host would like. Follow the guide and stay within your price range. Don't get talked up and don't be swayed by a pretty lable.

Report back on what the outcome was.

"Sara" skrev i en meddelelse news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m06.aol.com...

Champagne is always good, even for MIL's.............

Anders

Funny, I didn't read your post until after the dinner, but that's exactly what I ended up doing. I bought a bottle of Moet de Chandon champagne. My future DIL cooked the meal, it was chicken and pasta. Everyone seemed to enjoy the champagne, I don't drink myself, I am on medication and cannot. But it was a hit, whether I picked out the right thing or not. Thank you all for your suggestions.

Sara