Wine first or food first?

It’s customary in the U.S. to order a drink right off the bat, then look over the menu and decide on dinner. But I always choose my drink based on what I’m eating, and I almost always approach food and wine pairing food-first. The only time I go wine-first is if we’re cracking open a really special bottle, or if we have leftover wine to drink up (in which case I try to make a meal that will match well, but if it doesn’t…eh).

At home, I plan menus by the week, and I try to do a variety between chicken, beef, vegetarian, and fish. I generally have enough wine on hand to be able to run downstairs and poke through the bottles in search of one that will pair well, but occasionally just don’t have the right wine for whatever we’re eating. In which case we drink whatever’s on hand, because a glass of wine that doesn’t match perfectly is better than none at all.

Do you pair wine-first or food-first?