Wine With Knitting

I enjoy a glass of wine.  Sometimes two.  And often I enjoy that glass of wine while knitting.  Experts indicate that reds tend to go with red meats and heavy spicing, and whites go with chicken, fish, and mild spicing.  Champagne goes with dessert.  Do different wines go with different knitting?

I would have to say yes, they do.  Whites are served cold, and I think they go well with colorful projects, particularly of a summery nature.  (Chablis and Riesling come to mind.)  If I'm knitting in the summer with white wine, it needs to be a really easy project, though, as I tend to drink the cold wine quickly when it's warm outside.  Not a good combination for intricate stitch work.

Light, bright whites are lower in alcohol, and are fabulous for working a new stitch pattern.  (Beaujolais and Pinots.) It still feels like you're relaxing with a glass of wine, but you can think straight, and the bright flavor notes are a nice punctuation to the learning experience.  I find many children's projects work in this category.

Moderate reds like Merlots are my go-to knitting wines.  I like to plop down while dinner is on the stove and have a sip or three and get a few rows done, whetting the appetite for the evening's knitting to come.  I usually have wine left in the glass after dinner, and that works out nicely.  I'll crank out socks or garments or washcloths while finishing the glass.

Big Fat reds (high alcohol Bordeaux and Chianti types) are excellent for ripping back rows to correct a mistake, but not so good for the actual correction.  The corrections may require coffee if you need to get on with it right away!

Let's face it, champagne is just fun.  If you haven't cracked a bottle of sparkling wine in a while, try it the next time you're finished with a project and you're blocking it.  Everyone needs something to celebrate, and finishing your labor of love is a great thing to make a festive occasion.  No one to share with?  Save the leftovers for sauces and sauteing.  Hate that idea?  Invite your knitting friends to come and join you!  (I'm pretty sure I'm free that day!)