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My husband and I really enjoy wine and approach the body of knowledge with great respect. there is a distinction between a wine snob and a wine lover. We consider ourselves to be the latter and as for the former, we find them highly amusing. Most wine professionals will tell you to drink what you like. Your nose and palate will develop. They just want you to keep drinking wine! LOL!
Yes, we go through the tasting protocol. It's done for a reason. Most of the time the wine is fine, but occasionally we have encountered a corked bottle or one that had turned. And it does enhance the sensory experience.
Also, my husband likes to really look through the list to find the gem. One that isn't backed by a hypermarketing division or has a big name, but one that has been quietly making great wine. There are soooo many dedicated, passionate winemakers out there, we really like to support the small producers. I think the word is "boutique." Every list has a gem...if you can't find it, ask your server...most times they'll know something you don't. I guess it will depend on the kind of restaurant, but if you are in a restaurant that takes pride in their food and have taken pains to compile a coherent list, chances are the servers are educated about the wine or there will be a wine steward.
Whether I choose the wine or food first depends on my mood. If I really want that sancerre or quincy then I order it and get something that won't overwhelm it. On the other hand, if the braised shortribs are calling to me then I want a food friendly red that will cut the richness. Mostly I drink what I want with whatever I want.
The timing of your question is great. We've been talking alot of wine lately because the 2006 vintages are being released and my husband asked if I wanted to go back to Napa & Sonoma for our anniversary in September (harvest time).

I hope this isn't too off topic, but.........when I was young and drank red wine, I'd get pain right along my collar bones. I know that sounds really strange, but true. It scared me. I decided I was allergic to red wine and quit drinking it. Nothing else ever caused that same pain. Now, so many, many years later, I have tried various red wines and have had no reaction. The wine I drank in my 20's was usually at a bar, and pretty cheap I imagine. Do you think that's the difference from the great wines I drink now? Someone told me that tannen (sp?) could be the culprit.

And, to answer your question, I choose a food first, and then the wine. I never buy sweet wines, because I don't like them. If someone brings one, I usually serve it with dessert.

PerkyMac, that's a new one (the collarbone pain) to me! Red wines have tannins and histamines in them; some people claim headaches from the tannins, but my expert tells me that's not what's causing it. In my case, because I suffer from sinus problems, I can actually get a clogged nose from drinking red! Not that it EVER stops me... ;-) You should ask a doc or a wine educator about the collarbone thing and see if you can get a scientific explanation as to what caused it! Would love to know the answer to that one.

A few years ago, I would switch to red wine after the first frost and back to white the first day of spring. My husband does not drink wine, but will always accept a glass of champagne or sparkling wine. For a number of our anniversaries we have gone to Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and a few of the smaller regions. We have visited the many wineries in The Finger Lakes also. These days I pretty much stick to white. But I find that whether it is meat, poultry or fish, I can find a white that pairs nicely. I love asking the sommelier for a recommendation. It is a great way to get to know a new wine. Our group of friends will get together to have a wine and food pairing contest. We pair 2 people up and give them a required recipe. They can decide who get to cook and who gets to purchase the wine. Then we all get together and taste the pairings. Informally, we vote and toast the winners of the night. The other rule: the wine can not have been served before!

I'm no expert but I do enjoy Riesling and Merlots a lot!

Hillary
Chew on That

Many red wines give me a headache, and the next day can be a nightmare of a migraine, so I pretty much don't drink reds. Oddly enough, port is fine.

White wines seldom give me problems.

I was at someone's house once who was on the way to becoming a wine snob, and there was a white wine with the appetizers, but a red was going to be served with dinner. I asked if I could have another glass of the white to take to the table and I was told that no, there would be a red wine with dinner, white wasn't appropriate. I skipped the dinner wine because losing a day to a migraine just isn't worth it, if I can avoid it.

@PerkyMac, if I feel a headache sneaking up on me, I can usually head it off, but the bad ones are the ones that I wake up with. Sometimes I can take something and go back to sleep for an hour, but other times, it's too late and I'm doomed for the rest of the day. It's not fun.

Thankfully, I don't get the headaches as often as I used to, and they usually aren't as bad, but part of that is knowing what to avoid to begin with.

As far as the wine snob host, yeah it was annoying. But he had planned out the meal so that the specific wines he bought would be served at the appropriate times. And I think he also had figured out portions, so that when I asked for another glass of white, it would have meant opening a new bottle just for me, and he was already opening the red, so he wasn't going to be offering any more white.

There were maybe 10 people there, and the funny thing was that most were beer drinkers, and didn't care for wine at all. Some, like my husband, accepted a splash of wine to taste it and to be polite, then went right back the the beer. Many of the others just said "no" to the wine.

If I would have known that the white was going to be cut off after the appetizers, I probably would have opted for the beer, since that was plentiful. But I'm not a big fan of mixing alcoholic beverages, so after I started with wine, I didn't want to switch to something else.

So I guess his wine and food pairing wasn't quite what he expected it to be, anyway. I don't think he ever served that way again, which was smart.

I really like CA, New Zealand, Australian and French wines. Since moving to MI last year, we've been happily discovering our new home state wines. There are an amazing number of great little vinyards in the Leelanau Peninsula north of us that produce fabulous wines.

Some of our favorite styles are reisling, gevertz, sav blanc, chard, viognier, merlot, shiraz, white burgundy, pinot noir. How could I forget MI and Canadian ice wines - mmmmm.....