This is the weekly columnWe know wine is magnificent paired with food, enhancing qualities of both. Wine and food also can be a welcomed pairing when dealing with the vicissitudes or triumphs of life. Examples:• Emotionally wrought day with friends or family. Pair movie theatre popcorn and a bottle of buttery chardonnay and a stupid comedy movie.• Signal success at work or in your family life after overcoming obstacles. Pair a bottle of expensive Champagne, a tin of caviar, or—if you are not into salty fish eggs—white chocolate truffles and the movie The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.• Mind-numbing day dealing with mundane, pedestrian issues. Pair a bottle of quality pinot noir from the Willamette Valley, camembert or gruyère cheese, and an intellectually challenging documentary from the BBC.• A foolish argument with your loved one, followed by an embarrassing resolution. Pair a bottle of premier merlot, gourmet burgers, salty french fries, and the movie Sideways.• A gritty, muscle-aching day of physical labor you want to forget, even though there is some pride you survived. Pair a high-alcohol California zinfandel from Lodi and the movie Rocky.• A difficult day writing programming or fathoming spread sheets fellow workers could not comprehend or sorting out gibberish in a note from your boss or a client. Open a bottle of dry gewürztraminer or pouilly fuisse because you like the white wine and you know how to correctly pronounce the name, pair with honey-glazed, smoked salmon and the movie A Beautiful Mind.• An outdoor meal with a swaggering braggadocio who will tell you repeatedly how much the Kobe beef he is grilling cost and how lucky you are to have been invited to share a slice. Pair with the movie The Wolf of Wall Street and a quality Portuguese red costing less than $20—many exist—but do not mention the cost until he praises the pairing.• A lovely warm day with gentle winds, beautiful clouds, the faint smell of rain, all shared with a loved one. Pair light fare, a spring salad with fruit slices, a circle of brie, a dry Provence rose, and whatever sappy movie she wants to watch on The Hallmark Channel. See what happens. Trust me on this.Tasting notes• Markham Vineyards Merlot Little Cannon Vineyard, Napa Valley 2021: plush, elegant merlot from exceptional Oak Knoll vintage. Vivid aromatics, soft tannins and acidity check all the boxes for marvelous. $67 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/markham-vineyards-merlot-little-cannon-vineyard-napa-valley-2021/#more-20265">Link to my review</a>• Champagne Ayala A/18 Le Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2018: sleek, superb, pure chardonnay, vintage-dated effort, something of a rarity in Champagne. Excellent fruit. $85-130 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/champagne-ayala-a-18-le-blanc-de-blancs-extra-brut-2018/#more-19977">Link to my review</a>Last roundAutocorrect is my wurst enema. Wine time.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. No matter how you subscribe, I appreciate you reading.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: <a target="_blank" href="https://gusclemens.substack.com/">gusclemens.substack.com</a>Website: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gusclemensonwine.com">Gus Clemens on Wine website</a>Facebook: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/timeline/">facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/</a>Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky <a target="_blank" href="https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social">https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social</a> .Long form wine stories on Vocal: <a target="_blank" href="https://vocal.media/authors/gus-clemens">Gus Clemens on Vocal</a>Apple podcasts <a target="_blank" href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&#38;rls=en&#38;q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p%E2%80%A6&#38;ie=UTF-8&#38;oe=UTF-8">https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8</a>.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on WineLinks worth exploring<a target="_blank" href="https://victoriadelamaza.substack.com/">Diary of a Serial Hostess</a> Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.<a target="_blank" href="https://asweeat.substack.com/">As We Eat</a> Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe</a>

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Wine-mood pairings 6-4-2025

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