A glass of wine, Le Jardin restaurant at the Oberoi Bengaluru

Almost six decades ago, one of the most admired food writers of the 20th century gave us good reason to explore the world of wine beyond set or occasion menus and elaborate dishes, when she wrote with
simplicity and directness: “…As a wine drinker not a wine expert, one’s tastes are constantly changing. But one of the main points about the enjoyment of food and wine seems to me to lie in having what you want when you want it and in the particular combination you fancy.

It is possible, even at a white tablecloth restaurant, for a meal of a single dish and a perfectly matched glass of wine to become an immensely pleasurable experience. Moreover, if you happen to be relatively new to wine drinking it is one of the easiest – and possibly least expensive – ways to understand your own responses to wines and their varied characters.