What Wine Goes with Peanut Butter and Jelly?

Bill Daley, in the Chicago Tribune's food section, ponders the issue of what wine to serve with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/chi-0609060019sep06,1,1620992.column?coll=chi-leisuregoodeating-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

A top entry is this one:

"Rare Wine Co. Madeira Boston Bual

Made from the bual wine grape, this Madeira is an especially pleasing tribute to the city of Boston (a major consumer of Madeira back in colonial days) plenty of oak, leather, figs and spice. The wine gave the peanut butter a boost and some tasters thought it added kick to the jelly, too. $40 (3 corkscrews)"

I sent this to a colleague in France, who has just been over for some collaboration. During that time, the phrase "peanut butter sample" came up, as a description of a particular type of statistical sampling philosophy. He'd never had peanut butter, so another colleague introduced him.  His French palate was unimpressed, probably similar to an American trying that Australian concoction, Vegemite.  Now he will truly think Americans have no taste buds.

A $40 wine is great with PB&J -- especially if you leave out the PB&J.

But even PB&J can go upscale: "Chef Grant Achatz's take on "PB&J," a single peeled grape coated with peanut butter and wrapped in the thinnest toast wafer, was a sensation when the Lincoln Park restaurant [Alinea] opened in May 2005.

Joseph Catterson, Alinea's wine director and sommelier, approached that PB&J with a half-dozen possible pairings before deciding a glass of Sercial "Charleston" Madeira "

Now THAT sounds more French!