But I visited a winery that rocked my world. It poured a Viognier, a French white with crisp peach and hints of citrus, and I was sold. I quickly moved through Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc before diving into Bordeaux, Rioja and Cab Franc.
I am not a wine expert; I know what I like, what I don’t, and what I like paired with certain foods. (Give me an Amarone Valpolicella with a rich Italian bolognese, please.)
I’ll use my experience to write the new Dayton Daily News feature “Fine Wine & Dine,” which looks at some of the more premium food and beverage options in the region.
Why me? I’ve cooked private bourbon-themed lunches at a local restaurant, and I cook at home most nights of the week. (New Year’s Eve was crab cakes with homemade remoulade sauce, sliced beef tenderloin with a shitake mushroom sauce, and risotto.) I belong to a weekly group that samples high-end wine, and from the spirit’s perspective,
I write a free monthly bourbon newsletter and oversee a private barrel-pick group.
And none of that matters if I don’t write Fine Wine & Dine to and for you.
What’s premium? Is that a nice wine dinner at a good restaurant in the $80 to $100 per person range (when you include tax and tip)? Or is it a fancier option that will set you back $200 or more?
I plan to explore, at least a couple of times each month, Fine Wine & Dine options. The Dayton region is blessed with a bevy of wine expertise that stands, pound for pound, with any place in the country. Wine friends who move away always tell me the same thing without prompting: “I’ve never been able to find anything as good as I had in Dayton,” and when they come back to visit, the first stop certainly involves wine.
You, the readers, will play an important role in Fine Wine & Dine. I have an email for food and wine-related comments and suggestions at the bottom of this column. With every review, there will be a short, up to one-minute video that provides a synopsis of the review. We’ll keep value in mind, because there are dinners under $100 superior to experiences that cost twice or more as much.
And at the end of every Fine Wine & Dine review, there will be a poll or other mechanism for you to interact. It might be a question about a wine or pairing. And I’ll ask you for guidance. Where should I go that I may have missed?
(For those wondering I will continue writing my Sunday opinion column for this news outlet.)
I’m not looking at this as a way to talk to you but with you. Let’s have a conversation about the best there is to offer in the region.
The journey starts this month. I hope you join me.
Ray Marcano may be reached by email at winedineddn@gmail.com.
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