Most everyone enjoys a great meal and complementing it can be easy with wine, if you know how to choose. This article will provide you with excellent tips on how to pair wine and food together and when to serve what. It may take a little learning and practice to figure out, but it will be well worth the effort.
You should write down a few notes after trying a new wine. Make sure you write down the name of the wine, its origin and the year as well as your impressions. It will be hard to remember what a wine tasted like, especially if you attend wine tastings and try many different wines in the same day.
The longer you keep the white wine in the fridge, the more the coldness will affect both its smell and taste. Therefore, it is best to only chill wine for several hours prior to serving. This will maximize the taste and enjoyment that you will receive from each bottle you drink.
Go to wine tastings when you can. Wine tastings are the best place to test your pallet against the many different types and brands of wine. You can even find some that are free, but do remember to spit your wine. You can not accurately tell the taste of a wine once you begin to become intoxicated.
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.
When buying wine for dinner, take into consideration the food you will be serving. As a general rule, red wines pair well with beef based dishes, while white wines work well with seafood and vegetarian dishes. If you are not sure about which wine to pair with your meal, ask at your local wine store to receive a little help.
Left over wine is wonderful for cooking. When you’re down to the bottom of the bottle, do not throw it out. Instead, reseal the bottle and save it for your next meal. You can use the wine to make a sauce for pasta, flavor meat or add to your special stew recipe.
A decanter can be a useful product to have. If you have not been able to get one, or if you do not like them because of the time involved in using them, think about getting an aerator instead. They fulfill similar functions, and they are often easier to use.
Have some fun with wines by trying different countries and years. Take the time to appreciate the different flavors or aromas of the wines you drink, and try serving a wine you enjoy with different foods to see what works best. Don’t take things too seriously, though. Enjoy the flavor and effect of each glass of wine!
When visiting a winery, be sure to plan out your trip in advance. Create a budget prior to your visit, and enlist the services of a designated driver. Write down any questions that you have, and think through your taste preferences in advance.
If a lighter wine is what your searching for, don’t only look to one color. Both white and red wines have the same amount of alcohol. White wines are usually easier and smoother to drink. If you want a light wine, choose a Pinot Grigio or a Sauvignon Blanc.
When tasting wine, you should avoid distractions as much as possible. Keep in mind that the presence of a strong smell in the room might influence how you perceive the aroma of the wine you are tasting. The temperature of the room and of the bottle you are tasting will also influence your impressions.
When ordering a wine in a restaurant, let the type of restaurant be your guide. If you are eating in a French restaurant, it is best to order a French wine. If you are dining in a Spanish restaurant, choose a wine from Chile or other parts of South America. This will help you to order the best-quality wine the restaurant has to offer and also a wine that pairs well with your food.
If you need to save wine for another day, cork it and stick it in your refrigerator. The coolness in your fridge will help slow down all of the chemical changes happening in your wine. It’s best if you can finish that wine off within a day, otherwise you may find it tastes quite different than when you uncorked it.
You should always store your wine while it is resting on the side. This is because it keeps the wine in contact with the cork. When the cork of a wine gets dry, it may cause a gap that allows air into the bottle, which may cause your wine to spoil.
Join an online group for wine lovers. You can get advice in almost real-time about a wine you might be thinking about. You can get information about wine in general. A group can help you get a deeper understanding of what wine is all about, so that you can enjoy it even more.
Enjoying a meal with the right wine is a special occasion in and of itself, as any connoisseur knows. Hopefully this article has imparted a bit of delicious knowledge about the wine selection process and will help you to make a meal more enjoyable. Pick the perfect bottle for your next meal and discover the joys of wine.
