• Gargenega
• Italy
• Pinot Grigio

Review Date:	11/17/2007
Price Range**:	$
Winery:	Delle Venezie Indicazione Geografica Tipica
Vintage:	2006
Varieties:	Pinot Gris
Country:	Italy
Region:	Venezia
Appellation:	Friuli
Rating:	8/10
Notes: Light acidity with plenty of fruit and floral notes. Excellent companion to spicy dish like a Fra Diavolo.
** $ - approx $10 or less $$ - approx $25 or less $$$ - approx $50 or less $$$$ - approx $100 or less $$$$$ - more than $100

• Chardonnay
• Merlot
• Pinot Grigio
• Sauvignon Blanc

Everyone is getting into the trend of pairing food and drink, whether the drink is something as unexpected as Scotch or whether the food be something as quintessentially American as boxed mac 'n cheese.  The company famous for creating the best instant meal in a box, Kraft, thinks that the efforts of top chefs to turn the traditional fare of the pot luck dinner into the delicacy du jour of the urban hipster by adding ingredients like $2500/lb. truffles to the recipe is enough to convince the packaged food maker that the golden age of mac 'n cheese is now, not 20 years ago.  The company has created a new "bistro" line of mac 'n cheese with trendy, unique ingredients that should make your mouth water. 

...a new premium line of mac and cheese featuring fine ingredients such as sundried tomatoes, Portobello mushrooms and Asiago cheese, that helps adults bring the bistro experience home with the twist of unique flavors. And to help bring a real bistro feel to the kitchen table, Kraft is putting a new spin on the classic combo of wine and cheese ... wine and mac and cheese that is! By pairing wines with the more grown-up flavors found in Kraft Bistro Deluxe pastas, adults can create a memorable meal in minutes right in their own kitchens.

If you've grown up on the stuff, like we have, then you'll be interested in what you're supposed to drink in order to bring out the cheesiest flavor.

According to Sbrocco, the richness of the creamy sauce in the new Sundried Tomato Parmesan variety is perfect with a similarly-styled wine such as a buttery, oaky Chardonnay.

• It's not the outdated mantra of red wine with meat and white wine with fish.  It's about the weight of the food and wine in your mouth.
• Try pairing creamy macaroni and cheese like Kraft Bistro Deluxe Classic Cheddar with a smooth, creamy white wine or a supple, fruity California Merlot such as Fetzer Valley Oaks.
• Go for contrast and serve a tangy wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio to slice through the richness of dishes like scallops, pizza or macaroni and cheese.

We haven't tried the latest editions of the staple, but if Kraft is helping to sell a lot more wine that will be paired to my childhood food of choice then we're all for it.  We guess that it may go without saying that you could pair a plate of planting soil with a great wine in order to better enjoy the dirt, but just about anything tastes better with a large glass of aged grape juice.