Let me start by saying I know NOTHING about wine.

Like, nothing. Honestly, I don’t even really like it. I know it’s an acquired taste, and I should really suck it up, but I just haven’t gotten into it.

But I’m very curious about it. I watched every episode of Esquire’s Uncorked this year. I have a small list of sommelier documentaries I’m anxious to watch. And I love the way chefs and somms are able to pair specific wines with certain dishes.

So although I prefer beer and cocktails over wine, I was excited to attend the Perfect Pairings Dinner at Corkbuzz with the Charlotte Food Bloggers this month.

This is actually the second food bloggers meet-up I’ve attended but the first I’ve written about (call me lazy.) I love being a member of this organization because of all the talented and passionate people I get to meet. While I focus on discovering and eating all the food in Charlotte, many of these men and women cook, eat, and blog for a living. It’s fun talking food and drink with a group that shares a passion for food in so many different ways.

Corkbuzz, located behind the Whole Foods off Sharon and Fairview, is a beautiful restaurant and wine bar that started in NYC. They are constantly hosting cool events, such as wine dinners and tastings, but I had not visited until this night. And I certainly see what I’ve been missing out on.

We sat in a private dining room and received a two-sided menu. Each list contained the specially-designed dishes we would be served, but there were two separate pairings, a “traditional” and “discovery.” The idea was to give us a taste of what would usually be paired with the food flavors along with an option that branched out from the norm. Pretty cool.

I won’t sit here and tell you what I thought worked best because I really can’t say for sure. However, I DID try all the wine that was poured, and I’ll admit – I liked quite a few of them. Guess it’s never too late to start trying!

Below are the incredible dishes and each of the pairings. Beware of foreign words that I cannot pronounce.

Traditional Pairing: Man o’War Sauvignon Blanc
Discovery Pairing (scallop): Anderson Valley Brewing Co. Briney Melon Gose
Discovery Pairing (oyster): OMB Hornet’s Nest Hefeweizen
Discovery Pairing (shrimp): Benford Brewing Co. World’s Problem Solver American IPA

Traditional Pairing: Grangeneuve les Dames Blances du Sud
Discovery Pairing: Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina Rubentis (wut???)

Traditional Pairing: Cordero di Montezemolo Arneis
Discovery Pairing: Kurt Darting Pinot Meunier Trocken

Traditional Pairing: Vecchia Torre Primitivo Barocco Reale
Discovery Pairing: Isole e Olena Chardonnay Privata

Discovery Pairing: La Perle Mondiale Strong Ale

I love these monthly Charlotte Food Bloggers meet-ups and can’t wait for the next one (or for my next trip to Corkbuzz.) Stay tuned.

This post was created after a complimentary meal from Corkbuzz. All opinions are my own.