Is it OK to serve white and red wines

in the same meal? 

Not only is it OK to serve both red and white wines in the same meal, your guests will appreciate it. There are people who, for various reasons, will not drink one or the other, so it’s a good idea to offer a red and a white as a way to include everyone’s preference.
 But more than just giving guests a choice, thinking of multiple wines in a meal also gives you a chance to pair the best wine with each course of a meal. When a multi-course meal is served, I enjoy tasting several different wines with the meal. It is a rare occurrence when a single wine will pair well with various dishes served throughout a meal. In most cases, it requires a combination of different white and red wines to make a proper wine and food pairing dinner.
 If you’ve ever attended a winemaker’s dinner, like those held throughout the year at wineries to celebrate special occasions, each course of the dinner is served with a different wine. A complementary wine will enhance the enjoyment of the food as much as the food will for the wine. When each course is thoughtfully paired with its own wine, it can be an exciting experience of taste sensations. If a wine and food pairing is less than ideal, it is usually the wine that will taste “different” or “funny” after each bite of food.
 Usually, opening courses will be paired with light, crisp white wines, or even a sparkling wine. Throughout the meal, as the courses increase in substance, the wines will follow in the same manner. By the third or fourth course, the wines will usually turn to reds, transitioning from light reds to heavier, full-bodied style reds.
 As another example, I like to drink a glass of a flavorful white wine before dinner, before having a red wine with my meal. In fact, Chardonnay is my favorite way to whet the appetite while cooking.

Len Napolitano lives in Central Coast wine country and is certified in wine by the Society of Wine Educators, Wine & Spirits Education Trust, and Chicago Wine School and continually gains knowledge from his frequent contact with California winemakers. More information is on his website, www.wineology.com . Send your questions about wine to: wineologist@earthlink.net or by mail to Len Napolitano in care of Wine Country This Week magazine. Wineology is a registered trademark of Len Napolitano.m