In the off season, I think of my wild anticipation of watching my favorites, the Pittsburgh Steelers, on TV and the excitement of tailgating at UH football games.

As a child, the season signaled when enthusiastic energy rallied around my family — especially my dad and grandfather, both of whom were born in Pittsburgh. When the Steelers played at home or when the games were televised, that was the only time yelling and screaming was allowed in the house.

Yep, football is in my blood. At least that's my excuse for being such a loud and boisterous football fan.

The idea of living in a state that did not play host to a professional football team never crossed my mind before moving to Hawai'i 17 years ago. But there is something about Hawai'i, UH sports and tailgating that satisfies my passion and need for football.

I really enjoy hanging out in the stadium parking lot filled with thousands of fans, rooting for the home team, playing games, talking story, making predictions of the outcome and sharing the aloha spirit. Plus, there are tables groaning with great eats and drinks.

It's cool drinking with old and with newfound acquaintances, but I especially enjoy the great food and adult beverages both before and after the game.

I love that food is clearly a very enjoyable and important aspect in Hawai'i tailgating. I noticed that over the past few years, when I walk around meeting new people, not only do I see folks cooking up gourmet grinds but also, a lot more people are sipping on wine — and often in a glass, not a plastic cup. While I typically enjoyed sipping beer before, during and after the game, I find that I am now more often turning to wine while tailgating.

The abundance of great food shouts out to me to pair it with some tasty wine. Beer can get boring pretty fast when the food is awesome.

So if you too enjoy sipping wine while tailgating, at the stadium, in a garage or on your lanai in our majestic tropical sun, then here are a few suggestions:

• Pinot gris and sauvignon blanc are good choices for tailgaters who enjoy white wine. They are light, refreshing and very cooling in our delicious tropical heat. Terranoble Sauvignon Blanc 2007 from Chile at $9.39 a bottle is an excellent value. It is a light-bodied, refreshing, dry white wine with citrus and melon flavors and medium acidity. This wine is tasty all by itself, or try it with lighter foods such as grilled shrimp, vegetables or fresh mahimahi.

• A to Z Pinot Gris 2007 from Oregon sells for $13.50 a bottle and is a medium-bodied, dry white wine with ripe fruit flavors of golden apple and pear. The great texture of this wine pairs well with different flavors of Island poke. A to Z is also enjoyable by itself.

• Diehard cabernet sauvignon fans find Wall Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, $14.99, to be an amazing value with lots of complexity for a small price.

• Strong Arm Shiraz 2006 from Australia is a great bang for your buck at $10.99. This wine has intense blackberry and blueberry flavors with licorice and vanilla spice with an equally intense 16 percent alcohol.

• Layer Cake Primitivo 2006 is $15.99 from Puglia, Italy. This wine was a big hit during our Zin Festival at The Wine Stop in September. It is an interesting style of zinfandel and has a lot more fruit than what you would typically expect from an Italian wine. It will pair nicely with barbecue ribs or teri beef, or just sip it all by itself.

So whether your favorite team wins or loses this season, the most important thing is to have a great time, tailgate and be safe, never give up hope, and never, never, never drink bad wine.

Go Steelers! Go Warriors!

Kim Karalovich is a certified sommelier and general manager/owner of The Wine Stop. Reach her at 946-3707 or www.thewinestophawaii.com.