When you first walk into the tasting room at Food Matters in Alexandria, you feel as though you are about to sit down to an intimate dinner. The central focus of the room is a large table made of reclaimed wood, while floor-to-ceiling windows flood the space with afternoon light. Christy Przystawik, one of the owners of Food Matters and facilitator for the tastings, places tasting notes and pens at each seat. But don’t let the detailed notes and maps fool you – wine tasting at Food Matters is not a stuffy or uptight experience. Przystawik says that she tries to “give people a forum in which they can relax and taste wine… don’t let people get stuffy about it and don’t be a snob.”

Tasters are seated around the large table and hors d’oeuvres prepared by chef Tom Przystawik, Christy’s husband and co-owner of Food Matters, are placed in the center and passed around family-style. Although the focus of the tasting is on the wine, foodies will be thrilled with the simple, but incredibly fresh spread. Both Przystawiks were chefs at Café Atlántico before opening Food Matters, so the food is always thoughtfully prepared and beautifully presented.

Once the food is on the table, it’s time to focus on wine. Christy Przystawik explains the basics about the wines, including: the grapes used, the characteristics of the soil, which years have been especially good, etc. Wines are chosen to highlight a variety of characteristics and can range from $12 to $50 a bottle.