Want Wine With Those Fries?

George Carlin once asked, "What kind of wine goes with Cheerios?"
He said it for laughs, but as American wine consumption increases, so does the variety of possible food pairings. Gone are the days of elitist wine dinners held in formal dining rooms replete with red flocked wallpaper and candelabras. Today, we're comfortable with less formal pairings. We serve red wine with fish and white wine with meat. American wine consumption will increase from 11 liters per capita annually to 14 liters per capita in 2006. At the same time, our active lifestyle is changing our mealtime routine.
Yes, there are some stalwart families that sit down together at the dinner table, but in my nuclear family, meals are usually served buffet-style, 'round the TV. Last year, New Yorker magazine updated the classic Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving scene by having the family greet the caterer as the traditional meal arrived. While family dinners at the table are to be treasured and of great value, let's face it, we've become what author Eric Schlosser so aptly said--a "Fast Food Nation."
Last week, while working on a project and putting in longer hours, I was too tired to cook. Luckily, the take-out places in my neighborhood are plentiful.

Night One: KFC. They've reinvented themselves and eliminated the "F" word: Fried. Got a two-piece dinner; original recipe with mashed potatoes. Better than I expected, except for the coleslaw. (BLD)Wine Pairing: 2000 De Loach Chardonnay $12.99. The middle of the road oakiness was just perfect with the creamy spuds and gravy as well as the tender and juicy "F" word chicken. The wine presented hints of melon and just the right amount of tannins as a counter balance to this comfort food.

Night Two: McDonald's. A Big Mac and a Quarter Pounder with cheese. Small fries because I'm on Atkins. I first thought claret, but the two all beef patties, Special Sauce, lettuce, cheese, and tomato on a toasted sesame seed bun threw me into a pinot noir mode. I choose 1999 Beaulieu Pinot Noir Carneros $16.99, a perfect compliment to the special sauce. The velvety fruit tones of cherries jubilee and grape jelly highlighted this All-American meal. I was so enthralled I tried the Belgian thing of mayonnaise with the fries and the wine made it palatable.

Night Three: Ribs with corn bread, collard greens, and macaroni and cheese from Joe Grates. Focusing on the greens I went white and opened a 1999 Dry Creek Fume Blanc from Sonoma County. Yummy. Nice juxtaposition of tart wine and bitter greens. The wine presented a mineral bite of under-sweetened lemonade and green apple. The ribs with South Carolina BBQ sauce did fine with this well-crafted white. $14.99

Night Four: Pizza topped with onions and peppers. Tomato sauce always presents a challenge. If you order extra sauce or cheese go with white, I didn't because I had a 2000 Banfi Centine Rosso Toscana a blend of 60 percent Sangiovese, 20 percent Merlot, and 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. This fruity but dry red has the oomph to cut through the acidity of tomato sauces. Earthy, spicy with cherry and cranberry fruit, and a touch of cardamom. $10.99, Centine is my favorite everyday Italian red.

Night Five: The Italian deli for cold cuts and desserts. Their fresh olives were so big, I made some martinis (hey, it was Friday). I got cappicola, Bresola--a dried beef, made from the same cut as carpaccio and homemade cannolis. The martinis were so good with those fresh, green olives that I saved the wine selection for dessert. A 2000 Covey Run Gewurztraminer Columbia Valley, Washington. $9.99. Perfect with the sweetened ricotta filling.

What wine goes with Cheerios? Champagne, but only the demi-sec.