Have you ever cooked with wine before, or have you ever coveted that nice little wine collection you’ve seen in other homes. Would you like to know what you’re talking about when it comes to wine. Well, keep reading to find out a little more information to make things easier on you.
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!
Have a plan prior to picking your wine. Be sure you know which wine you’re looking before to avoid getting overwhelmed by brands, varieties, and prices. Certain wines fit dinners and others better fit large parties. Knowing which wine suits your needs can help you choose a better wine than browsing and choosing something on a whim.
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.
Choose your food and wine pairings carefully. Typically, white wine is suitable for light dishes, salads or fish. Red wine goes well with heavier dishes and dark meats. The rule of thumb is the heavier or darker the dish, the darker the wine that you choose. If you have having a multi-course dinner, start with white wine and progress to red wine.
Get to as many wine tastings as you possibly can. Taste as many different kinds of wine as you can, and you learn a lot in the process. Not only will you learn about the various kinds of wine, you also learn about wine in general and how to learn good wines from bad very quickly. Just remember that you need to spit!
If you have a wine cellar and you need a bottle for a party of special occasion, do not bring it upstairs until the day of the event. Wine needs to be brought up the day of the event in order to reach room temperature. But, bringing it up to soon could ruin the wine.
Look for online forums of people with similar loves for wine. This is especially true if you live in an area that doesn’t have tastings and clubs. It’s important to find a voice among friends with similar interests. Then, you can learn of new wines to try and share opinions on new pairings and more.
If you are not too familiar with wine, make sure to shop at a wine store. While many grocery stores and even some convenient stores carry wine, they do not have the staff on hand who really understand wine. If you shop with professionals, you will have a better chance of finding the wine you want and gaining valuable information in the process.
White wines are generally best when drunk within two years of being bottled. This is true for all white wines, except for Chardonnay. This is due to the fact that oak is usually not used in white wines. Dark wines, which are stored in oak, can dramatically improve in taste as time passes.
Ask if you can taste a few wines before buying. Most wine stores will offer tastings to their customers on a regular basis or set schedule. By trying a few varieties in the store, you can increase your chances of walking out with a bottle you really love. This is a better way to shop than buying blindly.
Avoid the common mistake of loading your wine cellar with the labels that you currently like. You might want to fill your cellar, but you may not like the same wines in the future. You might like a wine now, but you may not later. This leads to wasting money and storage space if you keep a wine you will not drink.
Keep experimenting when trying to decide which wine to serve with certain foods. You won’t know what tastes best to you until you try it. Of course, you can take the safe approach, but being open to new experiences is part of what makes being a wine lover fun.
When you are opening wine, make sure that you do not open it too fast. The sound that you want to get when you open it is not a pop, but a sigh. This will maximize the safety in the room when you are opening your bottle of wine for the evening.
Sweet wines are referred to as dessert wine. They often have alcoholic additives in them to make the flavor even bolder. This creates a syrup-like wine which is great in small doses. Pairing it with a savory dessert creates the best course of the meal, so try it at your next dinner party.
Go to wine tasting events. This is a great way to discover wines that you will love without purchasing a whole bottle to see how much you like it. Many times wine cellars and wineries offer wine tasting as part of their tours. Wineries are a great vacation destination, and you can bring home a souvenir bottle.
You are definitely ready to use everything you’ve learned now right? Of course you are, and the information should definitely come in handy. You might want to serve that special red wine to your guest or use that specific white wine to cook a certain meal. It’s time to get started!