Girls Wine Night Ideas – Food, Wine and Movies
Why not skip the noisy bar and round up the gals for a night of chicks, flicks and a bottle (or two, or three) of wine? We’ve chosen four “girls only” flicks with more girls wine night ideas including food and wine pairing. Pick one to match the party’s mood, and pair it with our suggested wines and appetizers. Now presenting . . .
Three Hankie Drama: Terms of Endearment, 1983
You’ll need one box of Kleenex per each bottle of wine for the ultimate teary drama. Shirley MacLaine plays an uptight widow dealing with her free spirit baby machine daughter (Debra Winger). How things change when the daughter gets cancer. Jack Nicholson is the curmudgeon astronaut next store who turns out to be frickin’ wonderful and Jeff Daniels portrays the man you’ll hate to kind of like–the daughter’s little-boyish, kindly idiot ex-husband.
Wine Selection: Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chardonnay, under $15, a clear crisp white.
Pairing: In honor of the scene where Nicholson takes the widow on a wild ride on the beach, try shrimp cocktail.
High-Class Laughter: The Philadelphia Story, 1940
Look for loads of fabulous gowns and free-flowing Champagne in this high-class comedy starring three class acts. Cary Grant plays a rich, charming bachelor trying to get his ex-wife back before she ties the knot once more. Katharine Hepburn exudes blue blood and intellectual humor as the ex, an upper-class debutant who’s about to learn that she can’t spend her whole life not caring who falls for her. Jimmy Stewart is the old buddy who keeps everyone together and has a few good times of his own.
Wine Selection: Taittinger Brut Non-Vintage Champagne, $50
Pairing: The whole plot would have turned differently if Hepburn had remembered to eat something along with all that alcohol, but you should still take the edge off your hunger with high-class treats like petit fours or chocolate fondue.
The Indie Choice: Bend It Like Beckham, 2003
This low-budget film has a British sense of humor and kind of a My Big Fat Indian Wedding feel–plus a love triangle, lots of guys with great soccer legs and a heroine to root for. A Sikh girl, Jess Bhamra (Parminder Nagra), wants to play soccer like her idol David Beckham. Problem is, her middle-class Indian immigrant family forbids it and she’s commanded to learn to cook instead. Before it’s over you’ve got a full-fledged Indian wedding ceremony in a riot of color, a nail-biter championship game and some startling revelations about the guy Jess may have to marry.
Wine Selection: Hogue Columbia Valley Gewurztraminer Washington 2003, $12, with classic lychee and grapefruit notes and vanilla, anise and apricot complexities, the perfect foil for the light spicy bite of Indian cuisine.
Pairing: For an Indian flair, grill up some skewers of Chicken Satay and serve chutney/cucumber sandwiches, which are thin slices of tomato and cucumber with a spread of butter and cilantro or mint chutney between slices of natural sourdough bread.
Lots of Lust and Love: All About You, 2001
Nicole Taylor (Renee Goldsberry) postpones law school to be with Robbie, the ambitious and intelligent love of her life. In a rude awakening, she finds out he’s moving on without her, so she moves from L.A. to San Francisco to do the starting over thing. Lo and behold–her roommate ends up subleasing to Brian (Terron Brooks), Robbie’s estranged younger brother, who spent years traveling around and trying to escape the pressure of his family. Lots of heat, lots of chemistry as the two must deal with their painful pasts to see if maybe love is worth a second chance.
Wine Selection: Go California with Gallo of Sonoma Merlot, under $15. It’s dry with a good depth of flavor and acid-fruit balance.
Pairing: Stick with the California theme, warming a Greens and Goat Cheese Bruschetta as the romance heats up.
