Apéritif & Digestif

We talk quite a bit about wine that goes with food but wine goes well before (Apéritif) and after (Digestif) a meal as well. Now in keeping with our usual M.O., we’d like to point out first that just about any wine is good as an apéritif or a digestif so don’t be stopped from enjoying one simply because you don’t have the “right” kind of wine.

That being said, there are traditional drinks for each. An apéritif is usually supposed to stimulate appetite. You could opt for a light, dry wine or a glass of sherry. Don’t be afraid to try a wine cocktail. Before a meal, you might want a Kir or Kir Royale or something like a Campari and soda. Paired with an Amuse Bouche, this is a nice way to start a meal.

A digestif should aid in digestion and usually has higher alcohol than an apéritif. Often, a digestif isn’t wine at all. Falling on the menu here you will find whiskey or lemoncello. However, post-meal is a perfect time for a fortified wine. What’s that? Glad you asked. This is wine that’s had a bit of booze added to it to improve preservation. Vermouth, sherry, madeira, and port are all fortified wines.

As always, we’re not that concerned with being bound to follow “rules” about enjoying wine. You can open a bottle of the wine you’re going to have with dinner and work on it even after the dishes are done. There’s no set way to do things. We were looking this stuff up recently and thought we’d share. For us, it’s a good excuse to stock up with a few more varieties in our wine wardrobe.