Charles Dunn

Viking's Director of Wine Programs

Charles Dunn believes that one of life’s great pleasures is pairing the perfect wine with a meal. Dunn brings over twenty years experience as a student, taster, teacher and collector of wines to his role as Viking’s Director of Wine Programs. Students in his wine classes praise his ability to simplify the complex business of wine tasting with advice that is practical, recommendations that are affordable and a down-to-earth, approachable teaching style. Dunn’s career has taken him from the buttoned-down board rooms of the corporate world to the vineyards and cellars of California and Europe. A native Mississippian and educated as a lawyer, he served for a number of years as CEO of a major chemical company before following his passion as a wine educator and enthusiast.

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	A Life in Wine, Part II John Gilman, whose articles appear regularly in The Viking Life, is one of our country’s most influential wine commentators, particularly among serious enthusiasts and collectors who subscribe to his bi-monthly periodical, “View from the Cellar.” More.
	Cool Down with Crisp Wines The warmth and comfort we find so desirable in our cuisine during those cold, stern months contrasts sharply with what we find splendid in the summer. More.
	A Life in Wine: A Discussion with John Gilman John Gilman, whose articles appear regularly in The Viking Life, is one of our country’s most influential wine commentators, particularly among serious enthusiasts and collectors who subscribe to his bi-monthly periodical, “View from the Cellar.” More.
	Bouchard Dinner Party The highest calling of wine is its accompaniment to great food. In addition to being delicious, it should amplify the best qualities of the food, all the while refreshing the palate. For food prepared with a deft touch, no wine excels in this role like Burgundy, both red and white. More.
	Wine with Chocolate: Limited, but Luscious, Selections The complicated nature of chocolate lies in its combination of the bitterness and sweetness. Chocolate is probably the most popular food item to present severe challenges to wine. More.
	Complexity and Finish: Hallmarks of Quality In a prior article, we dealt with four fundamental attributes of wine: body, texture, depth and concentration of flavor, and balance. In this issue, we will consider two additional characteristics of wine, COMPLEXITY and FINISH, both of which are essential to excellent wine. More.
	Raise a Glass to Lower Cholesterol Is this simply a highly sophisticated plot devised by Al-Qaeda operatives to weaken the bodies and workaholic tendencies of otherwise intelligent Americans? More.
	Understanding Wine Over the past 20 years, the level of dining sophistication among Americans has risen dramatically. The offerings by restaurants, specialty food shops, and even generic grocery stores have expanded to an extent that avails truly fine dining to anyone with the requisite interest. More.
	Pairing Wine with Food: Considering Body and Texture As the American culinary stage has gained sophistication in recent years, selecting an appropriate wine for a meal has deservedly become a prominent consideration. Accordingly, a significant portion of the future content of Viking Life will include this topic. More.
	Decanting Enchantment: A French Country Dinner at La Provence In keeping with this issue’s theme, the decision before me was how to prepare a meal of authentic French provincial cuisine with which to pair appropriate French regional wines. More.
	Pairing Wine with Food from the Grill One of the most frequent frustrations of culinary enthusiasts about wine and food pairings involves the pleasures of the grill. And, to be sure, there are several aspects of the flavors and textures common to grilled, smoked, or barbecued food that significantly impact the enjoyment of wine. More.
	From the Andes to the Cellar: Argentinean Wines Argentine wine is not a new phenomenon, but the wide-spread quality is. More.
	A Fall Feast to Remember When one is asked to recount his greatest experiences with wine, it is seldom a matter of simply denominating the finest wines one has tasted. Instead, the response usually begins with an effusive description of the setting, tasting companions, and the culinary fare. More.
	Ordering Wine in a Restaurant For many people, an awkward aspect of dining in a fine restaurant is the selection and service of wine. The source of discomfort is in not recognizing wines on the wine list; confusion in pairing wines with the food being ordered; and how to appropriately seek assistance. More.
	Wines for the Holiday Dinner As we approach the holiday season and begin reading the articles in the food magazines and Web sites about the feasible feasts we can offer our families and friends, we are confronted with the issue of wines to be served. More.
	Cheese Pairing 202: A Pungent Argument for Whites Until fairly recently, the topic of wine and cheese received scant coverage beyond suggestions for cute cheese knives and cutting boards, surely the two least important bits of knowledge within the subject. More.
	Diana Kennedy In terms of introducing to Americans an understanding of various national cuisines, the most influential writers, assuredly thus far, have been Julia Child (French), Marcella Hazan (Italian), and Diana Kennedy (Mexican). More.