You round the corner of the wine isle at the grocery store. What was a few years ago a small section buried between hard liquor and soft drinks, has grown into a vast chasm of seemingly endless choices. You have friends, family, or maybe even a special someone awaiting your presence for an occasion worth celebrating. Location, food, and entertainment are all being provided. Wine is the one thing you are going to have to provide, and yet the task is a daunting one. Where do you begin? What are the people waiting on you going to like? Is the resident wine snob going to call you out in front of others? Taking a few simple steps can turn this dilemma into a manageable and possibly even an enjoyable errand.

Step 1: Relax

Food and wine have been enjoyed together for so many years because they are just naturally made to go together. The fruit, herb and spice characteristics of wine make it a no-brainer as a choice to enhance the enjoyment of the flavors of food. What this means for you is that your decision is much more difficult to get wrong than you may think. Also keep in mind that although there are some classic food and wine pairings out there, few, if any, will suit everyone's pallet perfectly, so follow these guidelines, and choose with confidence.

Step 2: Know the Variety (of Varietals)

Wines produced in the new world (i.e. not Europe) are labeled according to the type of grape (or varietal) from which they are predominantly made. This is an advantage to the newcomer since grape varietal has the single largest impact of the flavor of the wine, and therefore tells you the most about what to expect. At any given Bring-Your-Own-Wine event, you will undoubtedly see an abundance of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, being that they are the most prolifically grown grapes on the globe. But here is a word of warning about choosing from these two champions of the wine world. Because these grapes produce the most full-bodied wines, they can be manipulated heavily during the wine-making process by methods like secondary fermentation and oak aging without being completely destroyed. Although such techniques can enhance a wine's flavor, unless you understand them and their resulting effects, you are going to be better off choosing a Cabernet or Chardonnay with which you are familiar, either by reputation, or by having tried it yourself. Be equally as cautious when choosing Pinot Noir. This fickle grape requires a skill in wine-making that only a select group

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