A Clarification

A dear friend of mine sent me a message on the wine and cheese post below. While he was tickled with the idea, he said it was a bit of an elitist post despite the initial disclaimer. I am here to say he has a point and that the spirit of the evening was perhaps not emphasised. The wine prices I mentioned (£5.50 to £21.95) reflect all price points on the spectrum. The format of the evening was as follows: 6 guests contributing £15 each (roughly the price of a full meal in London at an inexpensive restaurant). About £60 was allocated to wine, the remaining to cheese, salad, and bread. This was more than enough to fill us and provide a lovely state of enhancement thanks to the wine. By all means, such an evening can be devised at any budget. The idea, of course, is balance - this is not an exercise in inebriation, thus you do not need a bottle per person. With six people we could have gotten away with even three bottles and still enjoyed ourselves. So, feel free to set your own budget according to your means. There are countless numbers of delicious wines at £5-10 a bottle that offer stunning good quality. Likewise, many cheeses considered 'paysanne' offer excellent value for money. I think it is the perception of wine and cheese as elitist that reinforces this reputation. I am convinced that such an evening is just as enjoyable at £5 a person as it is at £30. At the end of the day, it is about enjoying delicious wine and cheese and, most importantly, great company (which does not have a price), so forget what people think. Enjoy yourself!