Periodically, my Bride attends some board meetings either for her client or for a professional organization.  On occasion and when my calendar agrees with hers, I get the good fortune to attend as her guest.  On one of the trips, I was asked to help with the wine selection for the dinner to which I graciously accepted.   This can be a double edged sword, because when you are spending someone else’s money (even if it is an organization’s) you can be viewed as an opportunist or worse yet a “pig.”  On the times that I have been asked to either pick or assist in picking, I use the philosophy and what would I choose if it was coming out of my wallet.  I try to be fiscally responsible, and yet I have the onus of making everyone as happy (or as happy as they can be) with the wines and to give them something that will be memorable.

We were at one of the newer casinos that are changing the horizon of parts of Michigan.  They wanted to dazzle us with their culinary artistry, though the dishes that were ordered were rather straight forward.  The choices of entrees for the guests that evening were filet mignon with prawns, potato encrusted whitefish, or chicken Marsala.  Good choices for a crowd without creating any derision or problems.

I studied the wine list, which was quite a good list, and showed that someone had done their homework.  I eliminated the bottom and the top of the lists.  The bottom choices are always good money makers for the establishment without any true justification for the price and the top grouping (even though usually the mark-up is not as generous for the house) so as not to look like I am a spend-thrift.   I settled on two wines, both from the same winery, one white and one red.  These two wines I felt would give a boost to the diners and still be considered quality crafted wines.  The winery was Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars of Napa, California.  There was a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon.  Both of the wines delivered excellence.  The Chardonnay was “oakey and buttery” and the Cabernet had just enough fruit to balance the tannins.

Everyone was happy, I felt like a good “host,” and have repeated these duties a couple of times since.  To paraphrase the old adage “You are only as good, as the last wine you recommended.”