WineLife365

This recession has been hard on all of us.  It has been especially difficult on the food and wine industry.  With unemployment numbers continuing to grow, more and more people are trading in gastronomic bliss in order to keep a roof over their heads.

But what would happen if you were to lose your meal ticket?  Would you turn to drinking Boone’s Farm Apple Wine and eating Ramen noodles for dinner?  Hopefully not.  You may not be in a financial position to purchase that $20 Cabernet Sauvignon that you once considered an “everyday wine” or to dine out at the swankiest local restaurants every night, but it doesn’t mean that you have to abandon your culinary endeavors altogether.  You just need to modify them!  Because when the going gets tough, real food & wine connoisseurs get extra creative!

Here are 3 suggestions to maintain the Wine Life 365 days a year:

1.)    Finally put that fancy kitchen to good use and dirty it up a bit

Believe it or not, a kitchen was meant to be used more than just once a week or when guests come over.  There are tons of tasty and cheap everyday food recipes available on the web or in the cookbooks that you’ve barely used.  Now is a great time to learn how everything works in your kitchen and start preparing restaurant style meals at home for friends and family.

2.)    Dumpster diving-wine style

Find a good wine merchant in your area that carries a wide selection of inexpensive wines that goes beyond Yellowtail and Barefoot wines.  I’m not knocking either of these two wineries, because both of them do in fact make some decent cheap wines.   I’m merely saying that wine values can be found all across the globe.  A good wine merchant who offers a large selection of affordable everyday wines in all likelihood has “taste-driven” a lot of them and will carry the “crème de la crème” of inexpensive vino. 

3.)    Variety is the spice of life (and potentially a godsend to your wallet)  

This is a great time to experiment with less expensive alternatives to pricy Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons.  Why not try a Torrontes from Argentina or a Monastrell from Spain?  These red and white wine alternatives are affordable and mingle really well with a variety of different foods.  With a little experimenting in the kitchen, you’ll soon discover what types of food and wine go hand in hand.

Life is short, so rather than stagnating your tastebuds until you find that next high paying job, why not change a few of your food and wine buying habits and create a simpler lifestyle at home.  Before you know it, you’ll be back to work and will have a much greater appreciation for the pleasures that you once took for granted – and maybe even have a little fun as well!