Blogger John Brown has fond memories of imbibing screw-cap wines beneath the South Side Bridge. Photo by Walker DeVille for the DowntownWV blog

Some of you seem shocked many wineries are now using screw cap closures instead of the more traditional cork to finish their wines. With all due respect to tradition and the desirability of using corks to seal the deal in our wine bottles, there is both a serious shortage of corks and a major problem with defective corks. I’ll go into this a little later, but first I should let you know that I have conducted serious research on the subject with a group of very discerning wine drinkers.

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As a former Congressional employee, I get nostalgic when I reflect on the District of Columbia, particularly as it relates to my two favorite passions: great restaurants and exceptional wines. Back in those post-Watergate days, my income was insufficient to support the sybaritic yearnings I harbored; therefore I was not a frequent patron at the finer eating and drinking establishments in our nation’s capitol.

However, I experienced just enough of the city’s culinary virtuosity to know that it was a special place. Ditto, the beverage shops which were (and still are) permitted to directly import wines from all around the world, thus eliminating a step or two in the chain of commerce — and consequently providing consumers with great variety and value.

Thankfully, over the past few decades, access to quality food and wine have only gotten better in and around the environs of Washington, DC.

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Try blue cheese with Port and Zinfandel.

You may have noticed that I rarely write about wine without mentioning what I consider a complementing dish. In my humble estimation, drinking a glass of wine without food is like listening to a concert while wearing ear muffs. This is particularly true for red wine where the not-so-subtle flavors and harsh tannins can assault the palate and literally leave a bad taste in your mouth. But add a matching dish and the wine, like the music, reaches its full sensory potential.

This is usually a good thing — however, it can just as easily be a disaster if you pick a clashing food-and-wine combination. Today, I’m going to suggest some favorite wine and food pairings and, conversely, a few to avoid. Like all subjective endeavors, these recommendations are tainted by my own quirky tastes for which I make no apologies. How’s that for a disclaimer? While I have on occasion experimented with some rather exotic pairings (i.e., Gruner Veltliner with curried aardvark, Brunello Di Montalcino with deviled wolf pancreas, etc. ), I will confine my suggestions to more conventional, if prosaic, food and wine matches.

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