Andrea Immer,
author of
Great Wine Made Simple, wine
and spirits columnist for
Esquire magazine, and dean of wine
studies at the French Culinary Institute in New York City
Wine: "A current favorite is a Sauvignon Blanc from New
Zealand called Brancott's Reserve. I like it for value."
Cost: $17
Serving suggestion: "It's a wonderful wine to serve with
Southwestern
food in particular, but it's also really great with
Asian, especially sushi. It's also great with shellfish. But the
other cool thing about it is it has such vibrant concentration and
tangy fruit that it doesn't go bad quickly. So if the bottle is
partially consumed and you toss it into your refrigerator with the
cork in it, it's going to hold for a good five days until you get
back to it. I haven't ever taken that long to finish a bottle, but
that's what a lot of people are interested in knowing: How long
will the wine last?"
Jeff Morgan, wine
director, Dean & DeLuca
Wine: "Voss 2001 is a wonderful Sauvignon Blanc - fresh,
fruity, and bright on the palate."
Cost: $18
Serving suggestion: "It goes beautifully with cioppino, a
seafood stew made with fresh fish, tomato, and saffron. It would
also go beautifully with garlic pork chops and grilled fresh tuna
steaks, and even Asian sesame noodle pasta."
Steven Olson, writer and columnist, TV personality, and
restaurant consultant
Wine: "Being a sommelier, it's against the rules to have a
favorite wine. Because it comes in so many different diverse styles
and it's so incredibly versatile when matching with food, I would
recommend three bottles of sherry."
Cost: All bottles are under $18.
Wines: Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe Fino; "dry and crisp, great
for an aperitif and with seafood"