The Right Wine
by Melvin Lee
Being in
college is actually pretty difficult. No, not the
work, that’s the easy part. Maybe my problem
is unique to me, but regardless I have to get
this off of my chest.
Last summer I
worked as a waiter at a hoity toity restaurant in
Maryland. As part of our training we had to
familiarize ourselves with the wine menu and
learn what pairs well with the restaurant’s
dishes. At first, it was a pain in the neck, but
I soon enjoyed it. I tried learning more about
wine and trying to find meals that pair. This
brings me to the college problem. All I eat is
junk. I am on a relatively strict ramen,
McDonalds, and sub shop diet. Sometimes I cheat
and have ice cream.
Here at school,
one of my favorite dishes comes from Are U Hungry,
a relatively new, but popular sub shop near the
Penn State campus. They offer a sub called the
“Fat Bitch” which features an 8”
sub roll stuffed with cheese steak, chicken
fingers, 2 mozzarella sticks, fries, ketchup, and
mayonnaise. It is delicious, but what wine pairs
with such a monstrosity? There are so many
confusing ingredients.
In the
restaurant biz I learned that most red wines pair
well with steak, I happen to enjoy Shiraz. I also
learned that Sauvignon Blanc, a white wine, goes
well with fried chicken so you can see where my
problems start to begin. I knew that I had to
seek help from the outside world.
I decided to
go to a wine store, hoping someone who worked
there could help. After the initial laughing
subsided, I finally got a little advice. The man
working there said to try a wine made from the
Muscat grape variety. At first, I was a little
uneasy about the suggestion. My inexperienced
mind felt a red wine would be more suitable. Plus,
Muscat is usually used in dessert wines. I
remembered learning that Moscato D’Asti, a
sparkling white wine, does pair well with
mozzarella. After my initial shock, I listened to
the worker and bought a 2006 Moscato D’Asti
from Rashi. It was relatively cheap, and it was
made in Italy so I figured I could not go wrong.
I brought the
bottle with me to my apartment at Penn State and
called Are U Hungry, for a Fat B delivery. It was
finally the moment of truth. Had I indeed found a
wine to wash down this sandwich of grease?
Unfortunately, I did not. The wine was delicious,
and something I will buy again, but it was just
too sweet for such a hearty sub. As I continued
to enjoy my meal I began to realize that maybe
some dishes are just meant to be paired with
boxed wine.
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