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We 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 Link to my review

• 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 Link to my review

Last round

Autocorrect is my wurst enema. Wine time.

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