Shopping for the Perfect Pair(ing)
by Leslie Sbrocco

Expert Points to Blue Jeans for Unexpected Wine Insights

Worried that finding a perfect bottle of wine will be as tedious as shopping for that perfect pair of jeans? No chance. "Choosing wines is easy if you focus on knowing a few styles that suit you best," insists wine expert Leslie Sbrocco, author of The Simple & Savvy Wine Guide and host of Check, Please! Bay Area.

"It actually dawned on me when I was shopping for a new pair of pants how much wine is like fashion," explains Sbrocco. "We seek out certain brands or designers because we're partial to their styles and we like the way they fit, feel and look. The same is true of wine. We buy a type of wine because we prefer its style - or the way it smells, tastes and feels. Comparing wine to something as everyday as blue jeans helps encourage people to relax and have fun with it," she adds. So take a look at your favorite pair of jeans for a hint at what types of wine you might enjoy…

BOOTCUT/FLARE
Classically cool and flattering jeans deserve wines with the same sensibility, such as the classic wine duo of Chardonnay and Cabernet. Authentic French Chablis is a Chardonnay from the northern Burgundy region known for its classy elegance. Bootcut-wearing red wine lovers should look to Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines, especially complex versions from California's Napa Valley and blends from Bordeaux, France - true classics. And if those bootcut jeans are embellished with a little bling, uncork a stylish Sangiovese-based wine from Tuscany. Think Chianti Classico or Brunello di Montalcino, dubbed the "Italian Stallion" for its lush yet powerful character.

RELAXED/BOY CUT
Relaxed - but never sloppy - these versatile favorites are a match for a seasonless Sauvignon Blanc, loaded with flavor and suited to most any situation. It comes in easy-drinking versions from California and New Zealand, as well as dressed-up styles from France's Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé areas of the Loire Valley. A suitably relaxed red is Merlot. This familiar favorite is all about texture, so sipping one is like slipping on your favorite lived-in jeans and sweater…smooth. Inexpensive to sumptuously-pricey versions can be found from global hot spots including Washington State, Long Island, and Bordeaux, France.

STRAIGHT/VINTAGE
A little curvy (without being too racy), these jeans call for wines with a hint of sexiness. Viognier is a white grape famous for producing the aromatic, fleshy wines of France's northern Rhone region - though sultry styles are emerging from California and Australia. Syrah (or Shiraz as it's called in Australia) is the sexiest red around. Try versions from the Rhone Valley in France, Australia's Barossa Valley, and Walla Walla in Washington. If this favorite pair also has a hip, vintage feel, try a hearty, age-worthy red based on the Grenache grape. Notable names include Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côtes du Rhône from the south of France.

BAGGY/ DISTRESSED
Stretch out in your loose-fitting jeans and pour a glass of comfort with a welcoming and familiar wine like Pinot Grigio. Vibrant and juicy, it swings from weekday meals to casual weekends with ease. Look for versions of the same variety dubbed Pinot Gris from Oregon and France's Alsace region. For lovers of big, bold reds, comfy California Zinfandel is the wine to try - jammy, full-bodied and a mouthful of pleasure.

WIDE LEG/TROUSER
Sophisticated sippers to pair with these uptown jeans begin with bubbles. Champagne hails from the Champagne region of France but bubbly is produced worldwide - from Spanish Cava to Italian Prosecco and California sparkling wine. With dark-washed, trouser-style jeans, try Pinot Noir. Pinot's "wine-chic elegance" also makes it the most food-friendly wine around. Sip stylish versions from California's cooler climates including Russian River Valley, Santa Barbara and Anderson Valley. Modern Pinot Noir winners also hail from Oregon, France's Burgundy region and New Zealand.

SKINNY/PENCIL
With these uber-trendy jeans, you need an edgy, rock star wine. For the vinous risk taker, uncork a bottle of Albariño, a racy white from the Rias Baixas area of western Spain. It is high on the hit list of up-and-coming wine stars, along with Grüner Veltliner from Austria. For reds, a sexy set of signature South American hotties are Malbec from Argentina - so deeply colored and rich it will do a tango on your tongue - and spicy, smooth Carmenère from Chile.

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In addition to contributing to wineanswers.com, Leslie Sbrocco is the author of Wine for Women: A Guide to Buying, Pairing and Sharing Wine and Leslie Sbrocco's Simple and Savvy Wine Guide. Leslie is a regular wine columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, writes Tasting Notes for Epicurious, and her work may be read in Redbook, Good Housekeeping, O! the Oprah Magazine, Coastal Living and many other publications. She is the host of Check Please! Bay Area and appears on television and radio programs around the country.