BYOB

Ever since my trip to California my taste buds have been the pleasures of fine wine. I haven’t been looking to drink loads of it, but every night around dinner time I find myself not only thinking about what I’m going to eat for dinner (a daily, soul tormenting struggle) but if I’m going to be able to enjoy a nice glass of wine with my meal.

If I’m not eating at home, which has been the case every night this week, the wine decision becomes a difficult one. I don’t really drink wine by itself, nor do I go to restaurants and eat food without drinking wine. I’m a firm believer in the mutualistic relationship between wine and food and try to combine the two (in moderation) whenever possible.

For someone like me (a young teacher) the pleasure in a bottle of fine wine can become a pricey one. Almost all restaurants mark up wine by at least 100% and sometimes even more than that. This means that if I want to enjoy a $20-25 dollar bottle of wine, about the median price of the wines I have at home; it will often be $50 to $60 dollars. I like wine, but I like eating more and I’m really not into dropping $60 dollars on a bottle I already have at home, something that is essentially free for me if I consider it a sunk cost once it enters my closet.

This brings me to the joys of BYOB. I love going to a restaurant and being able to eat someone else’s cooking and enjoying a bottle of good wine to go with it. I went to Lamb and Jaffy with a friend last night and had some simple, yet delicious bacon wrapped dates, duck breast, summer risotto with black truffles, and molten chocolate cake, all paired with an uplifting fruity Barbera D’Alba (total cost approximately $25 a person with tax and tip ). The company, the pleasant late summer night in an outdoor garden, the good food and the relaxed pricing made this one of the more enjoyable meals that I’ve had in the last month.

I eat so much of my own cooking these days and usually drink from my wine collection with it. The combination is enjoyable, but I find it much more relaxing to drink with someone else’s food. Regardless of how tasty the meal is, I always enjoy when someone else cooks for me. And I think that in my more relaxed state I can enjoy my wine better too.