ccording to Dick Williams, our Director of Liquor Buying and Merchandising, "high quality" and "good value" are the two most important characteristics Gelson's looks for when purchasing a wine.

But perhaps the key factor in satisfying you is being able to help you feel confident about making wine choices. To that end, we present a small journey around the world of wine -- providing you with information about different varieties of wine, ideal pairings of wine with food, and more than a few fascinating tidbits along the way.

California Wine Country
pproximately 95% of American wine comes from California. Indeed it was California in the 1970's that first showed the world that great wines no longer came exclusively from Europe and predominately France. California wines are probably the most important items of Gelson's Liquor Department, where we continually present the finest, most exciting varieties from Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, and elsewhere in the Golden State.

How Wine Is Made
After the grapes are crushed, pulp, skins, and juice (or must), are fed into large fermentation vats. These vats vary from the more modern stainless steel, glass-lined, or fiberglass varieties to the traditional open-mouthed wood vessels (usually the choice for serious wines). With oak barrels, even the quality of the oak and age of the barrel are important. To start the fermentation process, winemakers often heat the must. Most red wines are fermented somewhere between 70° and 80° F. Making white wine is essentially the same as the red wine process, except the skins are extracted prior to fermentation.

Dining With Wines

se the color of the protein as a starting point when choosing a wine to go with your meal. When plainly cooked and served, lamb, beef, and game are best paired with red wine, as are turkey, pale-fleshed pork, lentils, and dried beans. White wines complement lighter fare such as chicken or egg dishes and most fish.

Cooking With Wines
Fairly full-bodied red wine is indispensable for coq au vin, daubes, game ragouts, beef bourguignonne, fish stews, and marinades. It may also be used to cook certain vegetables, such as red kidney beans, and is featured in some desserts, specifically to macerate strawberries or cook pears. White wines suitable for cooking are usually dry and rather acidic. One tip: though great wine is not required for your culinary creations, a very cheap table wine is to be avoided -- it doesn't react well in cooking.

What Goes With What?
Wine	Suggested Pairings
Amontillado Sherry	Consommé, olives, tapas, salted nuts
Asti Spumante	Puddings, soufflé, light chocolate mousse
Beaujolais	Grilled sausages, salami, duck with fruit glaze, roast turkey, sushi, grilled tuna, pork chops
Bordeaux	Red: lamb, Irish steew, rare roast beef with old clarets White: grilled fish, mussels, poultry, seafood
Cabernet Sauvignon	French: red meats, lamb, poultry, mature hard cheese California: full-flavored, meaty casseroles
Chablis	White fish, deep-fried food, Chaource cheese
Chardonnay	Drink with cheese and egg dishes, asparagus and artichokes, seafood, poultry, or dishes with nut sauces
Chenin Blanc	Apéritif or with delicate creamy fish dishes, mild cheeses, strongly flavored cheeses, appetizers, dips
Chianti	Spinach and ricotta cannelloni, cold meats, pizza, barbecued foods
Fumé Blanc	Barbecued fish, lightly spiced curries
Gewürztraminer	Pungent cheese dishes, smoked salmon, pork rillettes, spicy food, poultry, Asian food, veal
Medoc	Grilled meat such as lamb, roast pork with garlic, roast chicken
Merlot	Bean stew, grilled tuna, strongly flavored cheeses, pasta and red sauce, lamb, beef, chocolate desserts
Muscat	Dry: chicken with grapes, avocado salad Sweet: exotic fruit salads, mince pies, chocolate
Pinot Grigio	Mushroom ravioli, linguine with cream and Parmesan, garlic and oil-based sauces, sole, scallops
Pinot Noir	Roasted poultry, game, meatier fish, strongly flavored cheeses, salmon, pork, veal, lamb, beef
Port	Stilton, blue cheeses and cheddars, chocolate cake, strongly flavored cheeses, chocolate desserts
Pouilly-Fuisse	Pasta, poultry, fish in creamy sauces
Riesling	Stir-fried or poached dishes, southeast Asian curries
Sauvignon Blanc	Seafood salads, Thai food, mild cheese, appetizers, dips, oysters, shrimp, crab, and lobster
Soave	Pasta and pesto
Syrah	Game and cold meats, beef cooked in red wine
Trebbiano	Pasta carbonara, weinerschnitzel
Zinfandel	Spicy dishes, pasta and red sauce, steak with mustard and soy sauce, ratatouille, dark chocolate cake