Maybe you wish to start collecting wine, or perhaps you want to know how to cook with wine. Maybe you don’t know much about wine at all. You need the right information so that you can make the right choices, so keep reading to find out more about wine and how its used.
Wine should be stored in a dark, cool location. One of the best places to help your wine remain fresh if you do not have a wine cellar is in a closet in your basement. Store your bottles on their side away from any light sources to help it remain fresh.
If you buy boxed wine, you can filter this into a nice glass decanter to improve the way that it looks. This is a great trick that you can use if you have to serve friends at a party or dinner. This will allow you to save money while giving off an elegant image.
Do not write a certain wine off just because a wine tester does not like it. Just like with many other beverages, certain wines require an acquired taste. Even if he or she does not like it, you may find it to be to your liking. See if you can get a sample of it before buying a bottle.
Swirling is part of tasting wine. Make the circular motion necessary from your elbow rather than your wrist. Doing so will enable you to smell the wine, enhancing the flavor of it as well. Making the motion just using the wrist is difficult and often will not have the desired effect.
If you have a lot of wine in your cellar, you may want to invest in an inventory management system. This will track the types of wine that you have in your cellar and how old they are at a given time. Compartmentalizing wine into a database can make your storage capabilities very efficient.
If you often find yourself stumped when you visit the wine store, consider purchasing an app for your smart phone. These apps are generally inexpensive, and they can provide valuable information such as reviews of various wines or pairing ideas for certain dishes. They are very user friendly, and you will always have the information you need on hand once you purchase your app.
When cooking with wine, let your recipe help guide your choice. If you are simply using wine to de-glaze a pan, a splash of just about anything will do. However, if wine is a main ingredient, such as in Coq au Vin, you may want to splurge a little to do the dish justice.
Allow yourself to be a little adventurous when shopping for wine. While it is really easy to stick to the tried and true wines from France or California, there are some fantastic varieties to be found all over the world. By stretching your boundaries just a little, you might find a wine that you really love!
If you are not sure of what type of wine, you like, it would be a good idea to go to a wine tasting. This will give you the opportunity to taste a large variety of wines without having to spend a lot of money on entire bottles you may not like.
If you are dining out with work colleagues and trying to impress the boss, try to arrive at the table first and order a bottle of wine to be delivered upon your guest’s arrival. This will really make it look like you know your wines. Avoiding a wait time for the bottle can also enhance the evening for everyone.
If you are trying a lot of wines trying to decide which ones are the best for you, make sure to write down all of the ones you like and don’t like. There are online services that help you find similar wines to ones you like, so you can use them to find more wines. You can also use these sites to avoid wines that are similar to the ones you didn’t care for.
Don’t overlook wines that have screw caps. An increasing number of finer labels are moving toward screw caps. They keep wine fresher than a cork does. Smaller amounts of air can get in, and there is never any cork floating around. Certain countries actually use screw caps all the time.
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.
Never hesitate to advise your sommelier of your spending limits. Many people think that this is inappropriate or embarrassing, but he or she is actually well-versed in the selection process based upon price. Allow a little leeway in the recommendation, but don’t break the bank over a non-existent social norm.
Study up on the right temperatures to drink certain wines. Yes, a few degrees can make a major difference when it comes to a wine’s overall flavor. You may find your favorite wine is perfect at room temperature, but a few degrees warmer or cooler lowers its quality. Keep notes on these peculiarities so that you can make the right choices down the line.
Have you ever thought you made a good selection of wine just because of the price tag? There are many factors that go into choosing a wine for different occasions, so hopefully the information you’ve read has helped you out in that direction. Use the advice so you can start using wine more effectively.