And so, having purchased all of my simple (but high-quality) soup ingredients–and having added the excitement of fig-bedecked chevre to the menu–it was time to choose the wines.  One white and one red would suffice, I thought.

Two things when it comes to wine:  budget and shame avoidance.  Not that my friends are likely to be all that critical–but they do know more about wine than I do.  I can’t help but remember when I kind of thought Yellow Tail was a great budget-friendly label–until I heard an acquaintance refer to it as the “alcoholic suburban housewife wine.”  Ouch!  Sudden unsettling thoughts of a few of the moms I once babysat for–and how they would casually unscrew the jug of chablis and pour the wine into an iced tea glass while giving me instructions on the kids’ bedtimes.

Anyway, I’m not too proud to ask for help when it comes to picking out wines.  Before I even had to go looking for a Wegman’s wine-ologist, though, a very sedate, cultured-looking white-haired, bearded employee approached me to ask if I needed any assistance.

“One merlot, one chard, please.  Can you recommend something nice in the $10 range?” I blurted out.

For a moment, I wondered if he might smirk or something.  I mean, really, the guy could have been the sommelier at Chez Francois.  So classy and stately was he.  Would he make fun of me for being a cheap-o in my dinner party planning?

How silly of me to think so.  He gave me a warm smile and motioned me to follow him to the other end of the department.  Rows upon rows of wines lined the walls…an overwhelming array.  My good friend the vintner (for that is how I was now thinking of him) grabbed a couple of bottles and held them up for me.  “The Coppola chardonnay is on special right now.  A nice, crisp, non-oaky selection for $10.  And the Sterling merlot is always a good choice.  A very pleasing merlot for $11.”

Well!  Not only did I now not feel a bit like a cheapo, decanting-into-an-ice-tea-glass Yellow Tail housewife; I felt positively classy.  A regular wine connoisseur, I was.  Completely in the know, with just a little help from my Wegman’s vintner buddy.  Who looked, I realized, just a little bit like Santa Claus.  And somehow, it didn’t seem to great a reach to think that Santa moonlighted at Wegman’s–always ready to help the grownups avoid committing unrecoverable wine faux-pas.

Now I could think less about possible embarrassment and more about the lovely little grace notes.  Like WINE-GLASS CHARMS.  Yup, Wegman’s has those too.  Such an unnecessary little bauble.  Which is why I’ve wanted a set for the longest, longest time.  Oh, and lest I forget, I also picked up a robust, stylish set of four goblets for $9.99.  (Something else I still needed in my new place).’

I moved happily toward the checkout.  My basket was full, and my heart was festive. Oh, and I could almost smell the aromas of soup that would soon fill my house.  And hear the strains of Enya’s Christmas CD (which I planned to immerse myself in as I cooked).

My Wegman’s Odyssey was finished.  I waved a fond farewell to my new favorite store and wondered whether I might be able to pull off yet another intimate dinner party for New Year’s Eve.

(If you love the idea of a New Year’s Eve dinner party–but don’t have time to do your own Wegman’s Odyssey–PrestoPink , the DC metro area personal concierge service, is here to help.  Menu planning, shopping, party setup–we do it all.  Visit our website, and get in touch!)