A lot of people drink wine, but don’t know a lot about wine. Don’t let that be you. With just a little information, you can be a true wine connoisseur. The following tips are here for that purpose, and can help you know a bit more about the drink you enjoy.
Keep in mind that while some individuals are billed as experts when it comes to wine, no one knows everything. Your personal preferences are your own. You may like something that an expert really hates. Make up your own mind and have fun trying new things and experimenting. You won’t regret it!
Buy only one bottle of each wine. If you find that you like a particular wine a great deal it can be very tempting to want to buy a lot of it at once to save money, but this is often a bad idea. Instead, buy only one to ensure that you do not fill your cellar with one type.
If you plan to learn about and collect wines, invest in proper storage. Wine is best when kept in a cooler, more humid environment. Many people prefer to build out a basement or cellar for storing wine. However, if your needs are smaller, there are many options for in-home storage on the market.
Your wine should be served at the ideal serving temperature to keep the flavor at its maximum potential. Red wine needs to be about 60 degrees. If the wine is poured at 58 degrees, it will warm to the right temperature in the glass. Serve white wines at around 47 degrees. Serving white wine too warm dulls the flavor.
A nice Pinot Noir is a wonderful wine to use when having a dinner party. This wine pairs very easily with a variety of foods and side dishes, and it is not too bold or sweet. This is also a type of wine that many people are familiar with, meaning your guests are more likely to enjoy it.
Don’t worry about trying to identify all the flavors in a wine that you are tasting. Some people have a natural affinity for this while others do not. Try to focus instead on how much alcohol is in the product, as well as what type of fruit may be included. Over time, you will probably be able to get a good feel for these elements.
Join a wine of the month club with your friends. This can be a great way of learning about the developments in the wine industry and some of the new wines that are on the market. Also, you can get samples of different wines, which can be purchased by the bottle if you enjoy it.
Take notes on any wine that you try out. You aren’t going to really know what you are doing at first. However, over time, you will start noticing specific trends in your notes and reactions. You might even see that your reaction to particular wine’s changes as you drink more of them.
Dessert wines make a great after-dinner drink. Terrific dessert wine choices include Champagnes, Port and Moscato from Italy. Sipping on this wine after you eat allows you to relax and wind down after a great meal.
Most people cannot afford a wine cellar in their home, but that does not mean you cannot create an atmosphere that is conducive to storing a few great bottles of wine. Try to store you wine in a darker location where the temperature will remain fairly consistent. Doing this will preserve the quality of your bottles of wine until you are ready to drink them.
Wine is good for cooking and for drinking by itself. Red wine adds a robust flavor to red meats such as steak. You can also use white wine when you cook seafood like scallops or fish. Adding a little wine while cooking can really enhance the flavor of the dish you are preparing.
If you have a smaller space, you can create a wine cellar of sorts in an empty closet. Place racks in the closet to store the bottles on, and try to keep the door closed often to prevent light from entering. A closet will generally have a fairly consistent temperature, making it ideal for storing wine.
Always check the label of the wines you buy. This is a good way to get an idea of where the wine comes from, how popular it is and sometimes you will an accurate description of its taste and aroma. You will eventually identify your favorite distributors and recognize the best wines at a glance.
A great tip you should remember about wine is to store it at the right temperature. A lot of people make the mistake of keeping their white wine too cold. This makes it painful to drink because it hurts your teeth. Red wine should be kept at about room temperature.
Buying wine online can be rewarding. Traveling can become expensive, which means visiting local vineyards and wineries in other states is not possible. By researching online, you can find not only great wineries, but also great deals as well. Buying online also gives you the ability to buy in bulk at better savings.
Critics can offer an opinion, but you should not listen to them all the time. Sometimes, a critic may think one wine is good, but you may not enjoy it. Do what you think while using their suggestions as a touchstone.
No one can be a conoisseur overnight, but now that you have these tips you are that much closer to being a wine pro. Just use the tips in your everyday life to help you think of wine in a new way. You will be sure to be rewarded; enjoy!