Thirty-eight percent of Americans are regular wine drinkers, but they account for more than 85 percent of all wine drunk in the U.S. And 26 percent drink wine without consuming any food.
I’m mostly in the Eric Asimov camp when it comes to wine sans food:
I’ve become used to the notion that not everybody assumes wine is meant to go with food. But I find the idea of divorcing the two unsettling to say the least. Personally speaking, I love a glass of wine when I’m cooking, as an aperitif. The idea of not finishing a glass after pushing back from the table? Perish the thought! But I can conceive of very few social situations not involving food where I would want to drink wine. It’s not that I’m antisocial; I’m just pro food-and-wine.
It’s not that I think drinking wine without food is a bad idea; I do it, actually really often! But wine is often better with food. Also, I’m an eater, so any time I can add food to a situation, I’m in favor. Also, the wine-without-food thing has sadly led to the kind of wine I like being taken off of menus:
Some wines that are perfectly enjoyable with food might seem austere, tannic and uninviting on their own, while wines that might seem too soft, plush or unstructured with food might offer more pleasure without it.
Certainly, that was a lesson for Joe Campanale, the beverage director and an owner of L’Artusi and dell’anima, restaurants in the West Village. Last year, when he opened Anfora, a wine bar near the restaurants, he expected most people to drink wine while noshing on salumi or crostini. Instead, he has found that many people don’t order food at all.
“It’s affected the styles of wine I put on the list there,” he said. “I tend to like very structured wines with very high acidity and sometimes prominent tannins, but those don’t always go well if you’re knocking wine back without food. I still look for crisp acidity, but tend not to look for tannic wines.” For instance, he’s found that Spanish wines like well-aged Riojas from López de Heredia or Bierzos from Alvaro Palacios are more approachable without food than full-bodied but tannic reds like a traditional aglianico from Campania.
Joey’s restaurants are some of my favorites in New York, and his wine selections are particularly great — I’ve discovered more than a few favorites from his lists. I also like very structured wines with prominent tannins, so it’s a little sad that those are being replaced.
But! I do like this American foray into wine-drinking. Having a glass of wine to relax while you watch TV, or drinking a good glass or two before going out, is a nice cultural shift (and hopefully it means an influx of better wines into my local wine stores).