h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

...for a nice Merlot? Dry, yet with a hint of salt-water taffy, oak barrels, and a small Frenchman on holiday?

Unfortunately not - I'm allergic to red wine
A Chilean Sauvignon Blanc will get you up to eight lines (including comments)

How can you be allergic to red and not white? Something in the grape itself?

Indeed - the red grape is turned red by an organism that is not sufficiently removed from pennicillin for my overzealous immune system to let it past. The same is true of blue cheese and port.
On the plus side it does mean that my chances of getting gout are significantly lowered...

No Stilton? No sangria? Life must be bleak indeed.

Gout is more commonly caused by eating offal than by drinking port these days. If you are partial to liver or kidneys, you are most likely to suffer from gout.

Chardonnay is old hat these days. You should be trying the new Rieslings from Australia, which are dry and sharp - perfect for today's slightly spicy cooking. Chardonnay went well with rich French sauces, but who cooks those any more?

There's a lot of good things coming out of Australia these days...

*casts an eye towards Pauline Hanson and 'One Nation'*



..or maybe not.

I don't think Pauline hanson is for export...strictly for outback consumption.

I agree that the so called new world wines have definitely reached the point of surpassing all but the best Europe has to offer (though in many cases that was Europe's wine getting worse) but I do tend to favour quite strong food (African influences, no subtle cooking there!) so I need a taste laden wine to go with it.

The Chileans are doing interesting things...


...ignoring, for the time being, the whole Pinochet mess. I'm strictly speaking of wine here--the food's great as well. Last Saturday night, some friends and I went out to dinner to one of our finer bistros. The house red is a fruity Merlot. Our server revealed that the gas station down the street sells that particular wine. I replied that they (the station) must have a really good buyer.