I was dining alone, so I felt it was prudent to stick with whatever they were offering by the glass. I had decided on the conch chowder (tomato based) to start and the duck breast in a peppercorn sauce as my main. I asked for the waiter's assistance in choosing a wine that would go well with both, and we decided to try a domaine des Bas Cieux Beaujolais.
My first sip was really pretty uninspiring/flat...flabby is the word I think you "geeks" use
But then came the conch chowder, and WHAM! it completely opened up the wine for me. Really lent it some strength and fullness that just didn't seem to be there on it's own. And, the wine also enhanced the chowder...brought out the "seafood" flavor which was initially kind of overwhelmed by the tomoto flavor (I thought).
Then, when the duck came, I was back at square one with the Beaujolais - it just wasn't working again. So I asked the waiter for another suggestion, and he recommended trying the 2003 Wente Cab. As soon as I put my nose in it, I knew I was going to like it (I like bolder, spicier reds, and I could tell this was one of them). The spiciness of the cab really went well with the spiciness of the peppercorn sauce, and made the sauce seem that much creamier.
Anyway, just thought I'd share a newbie's food/wine match experience!