I’m really not much of a wine guy, to be honest, but I do appreciate the occasional glass of cabernet. Consequently, I’m not always the most knowledgeable dude when it comes to choosing the best wine to pair with…waffles, for example. Fortunately, thanks in part to Omahan Jesse Becker, Chief Sommelier of WineToMatch.com, I’m still covered.
Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Jesse to talk to him about his involvement in WineToMatch.com and their iPhone app, which was updated to a new version just this week. Both Jesse and his wife are originally from this area (he is from Lincoln), and they still have family here. For his training, though, he had to move away from our beloved Omaha for a while.
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WineToMatch.com is a website devoted to helping wine drinkers find the best wine pairing to go with their food. Jesse assures me that the app and the website are meant for both novice drinkers as well as more experienced wine enthusiasts. Jesse himself relied on his training as a sommelier to develop the logic engine that makes the recommendations. The recent updates to the software include the following:
- New food types: pizza, desserts, chocolate, ginger, cured meats, berries, melons, squashes
- New wine types: Lagrein, Barolo/Barbaresco, Santorini, Txkolina Txkoli, Dry Fizzy Reds, Taurasi, Aglianico, and Sparkling Sweet Wines, Campanian white wines
- Improved overall results
- Added color icons for better usability/accessibility
- Technical improvements for reliability
In December, WineToMatch is expecting even more improvements, including simplified cooking methods and dish recommendations for each wine type as well as links to recipes. Things seem to keep getting better, so check back and check often. I for one, will now find it much easier to tell my Gewirztraminer from my Gruner Veltliner. Thanks, Jesse!
Screenshots of the WineToMatch iPhone App: