Do you know a Cabernet from a Shiraz? Do you have a cellar – in your cellar? Is your idea of an awesome birthday present a bottle that was corked the year you were born? You may be an oenophile – and there's no shame in that. More Americans are sipping more wine than ever before. Tonight, Mary Richardson meets chefs, innkeepers and vintners who are going great grapes in New England. And she discovers a place Chardonnay sippers on a budget call the Filene's Basement of Wine.

Show Resources:

Tastings Wine Bar and Bistro
201 Patriot Place
Foxboro, MA
(508) 203-9463
Tastings Wine Bar

Beacon Hill Wine and Spirits
538 Main Street
Melrose, MA
(781) 665-3332
Beacon Hill Wine

Bin Ends
236 Wood Road
Braintree, MA
(781) 817-1212
Bin Ends

Sakonnet Vineyards
162 West Main Street
Little Compton, RI
(401) 635-8486
Sakonnet Vineyards

Boston Wine Festival / Boston Harbor Hotel
70 Rowes Wharf
Boston, MA
(617) 439-7000
Boston Wine Festival

Stonehedge Inn
160 Pawtucket Boulevard
Tyngsboro, MA
(978) 649-4400
Stonehedge Inn

Gordon’s Fine Wine
894 Main Street
Waltham, MA
(781) 893-1300
Gordon’s Fine Wine

Boston University Food, Wine and Arts Program
808 Commonwealth Ave
Boston, MA
(617) 353-9852
BU Wine Program

Wine Wisdom
A wine expert we consulted shared these words of wisdom about wine, food, and other topics.
What to Eat with your Wine
With all the opportunities in Massachusetts to taste and purchase interesting wines, we are often still left with the conundrum: will this go with my dinner?
You can certainly get help from professionals at restaurants and wine shops, or treat yourself to a dinner at the Boston Wine Festival and let Chef Daniel Bruce do the work for you!
However, for those times when you are on your own, here are some basic guidelines to set you in the right direction:
Tart wine goes with tart food:
They actually cancel each other out. One classic pairing is Sancerre (which is sauvignon blanc) and goat cheese. For example, the lemony acidity of Chateau de Sancerre makes chevre seem creamier, while the cheese makes the wine feel silkier and softer. Another is pasta and red sauce with Chianti. Isole e Olena is a very revered producer.

Bubbles bust oiliness of deep fried dishes:
The bubbles and high acidity in sparkling wines, like Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Segura Viudas Cava Reserva, or Adami Prosecco literally scrub your palate, making deep fried food seem lighter. Don’t be fooled – the calories are still there! Our favorite über-self-indulgent combo: Champagne and Crab Rangoons.

Meaty dishes compliment big wines:
Full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignons, like Silver Oak Napa Cabernet, are classic pairings with steak. The tannins (which give the drying, chewy effect in wine) are softened by the oily juices of the steak, allowing flavors in the food and wine to shine through. Wines get tannin from oak too, so bigger, oak-aged white wines, like Fisher Vineyards Whitney’s Chardonnay offer the same effect.

Alcohol heats up spicy foods:
Low alcohol, fruity wines, like German Rieslings, Chenin Blanc (aka Vouvray) or sparkling wines help tame spicy foods. For reds, try French Beaujolais, Italian Valpolicella, or fruity, light pinot noir like Trinity Oaks Pinot Noir. Rosés work great too – try Menage à Trois Rosé (made with Gewurztraminer, Syrah and Merlot).
* TIP – alcohol percentage is marked on all bottles; look for wines with 13% or less.

Sublime with Sushi:
Dry, crisp whites are the go-to for sushi and seafood dishes with light or no sauce. Sakonnet Vineyards Vidal Blanc is fantastic locally produced white wine perfect for nearly any dish from the sea. Also try un-oaked Californian Sauvignon Blancs, which have more ripe fruit than the New Zealand versions. Sparkling wines are fantastic with sushi and light red wines often make a good match too.

Desserts need sweet wine:
If wine is less sweet than the dessert, it will taste bitter. Chocolate desserts pairs beautifully with red dessert wines, like Noval Black Port or Warre’s Warrior Port. White, sparkling and fruit-based dessert wines, such as Sauternes, Ascheri Mosacto d’Asti, Lindemans Bin 90 Moscato, or Neige (an apple ice wine from Canada), best compliment fruit and nut-based desserts.