Yes.. What he said. I would personally say to avoid the reds when you're doing a bread, fruit and cheese type picnic.. They tend to overpower things like bread and cheese. MAYBE if you were going to do a strong, well aged stinky cheese it'd be different, but most of the milder bries and havarti's (i.e. the popular flavors) tend to need something milder.
*IF* you have access to a large wine store near you - see if you can get a Finger Lakes Riesling from NY.. A Riesling is a light crisp, fresh wine and goes spectacularly with bread, cheese, fruit dinners. Upstate NY makes the *BEST* American Rieslings (okay California might argue that point, but they're wrong..
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Most wine stores with a good selection of American wines should carry them. I am personally a HUGE fan of Sheldrake Point and Lamoreaux Landing... Go for a dry if you're going to have a lot of fruity flavors, or a semi-dry otherwise..
Good luck!
Pei (who doesn't know you, but is a huge fan of the kind of meal described below and is firmly convinced that Finger Lakes Rieslings are the best possible wine to pair with it
Well, except Glenhaven Farms Blueberry, but you can't find that outside of the area, so.. I'll just horde all of those for me
Yep, reds kill some cheeses. Start with the white and the brie and Saint Andre and then move to the red with the Stilton, Port Salut and Gouda. Have the Granny Smiths with the white, and pick up a few nice bing cherries if you can find them with the red. Dark chocolate is good with red wine too. Take your time and don't stagger back to the car too soon. And watch for deer on those BRP twists and turns!
Pei, I lived in NYC for some years, and I agree the Finger Lakes are producing some good wines--especially Alsatian style rieslings and gewurtzes. You can't find them here. Of course there, you wouldn't come across the excellent cabs and viogniers that are produced in Virginia and recently in the North Carolina piedmont.
Hey DocGoose! I'm just a Virginia hillbilly who has had a lot of good experiences. My grandparents and I cured our own hams, made wine, and Grandma actually taught me to make lye soap with beef tallow (Trisha and I have had a few conversations). I married French, got to travel a lot, lived in NYC for a long time, and now I'm back near where I started from. I've had a good ride the first 40 years ;-)
I tend to think in terms of red *or* white for a meal, if I mix them, I end up with a raging headache (even if just after 2 glasses, which shouldn't leave me with a headache..) - but the breakdown you give above makes it sound like it's worth it!
I can't imagine not having access to my FL Rieslings and the Gewurtztremeiners (god I hate remembering how to spell that lol).. Sadly a lot of the vineyards are moving away from the Gewurtz's and focusing on the Rieslings, which are great, but.... It's still a shame.. And yeah, in the 6 years I've lived up here I had exactly one local red that wasn't 1/2 a step from vinegar. And it stinks that you can't get Finger Lakes wines down there! I seem to recall our largest wine store carries a few of the NC wines, though I have to admit that I don't recall anything from VA...
And to uhm, to keep us on topic... smoked salmon goes spectacularly with all of the above for a more traditional protein with a picnic dinner with wine, bread, fruit & cheese..
You may want to take some citronella (sp) candles with you. Adds mood lighting and keeps bugs away....
Good luck on your date!
Oh and pack some condoms to, always be prepared just dont stick them inside the basket. Fresh condoms at that they shouldnt look like your swiss cheese...