Wine is something that goes back in time thousands of years. It can be enjoyed as is, or incorporated into recipes. Selecting the perfect wine for meals is critical, as it greatly impacts the dining experience.
Particularly if you are just discovering wine, don’t buy too much of any one thing. You may want to grab several bottles of whatever you enjoy, but as you continue learning more, you are going to start to like different things. You probably won’t be interested in the wine that you enjoyed several months ago.
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.
Consider purchasing a wine from a lesser-known region of the world. While everyone gravitates toward wines from France or California, there are great varieties to be found most everywhere! You might find a lovely red wine in North Carolina or a never heard winery in Australia. Give a few a try, and enjoy the variety, they bring to your table.
An amazing sauce for any beef dish can be made using wine. To make this sauce, just mix red wine with a little bit of butter in a saucepan. Let the sauce simmer and thicken, allowing a portion of the alcohol to cook out. Then, drizzle lightly over your beef entree.
A good tip if you’d like to get more into wine is to come to your own conclusions. Everyone’s a critic these days and wine is no exception. If you’re just blindly following a so-called expert’s advice, you’d be doing yourself a disservice. Instead, try to figure out what you like on your own.
You can make amazing pairings with your favorite wine. For example, you can pair a Chardonnay with either Gouda or Provolone. For stronger cheeses, such as Cheddar, opt for a Cabernet such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc. Zinfandel wines go beautifully with the more delicate cheeses such as Feta and Gouda.
Your wine should be served at the ideal serving temperature to keep the flavor at its maximum potential. The temperature of red wine should be at approximately 60 degrees in order for the flavor to really shine. You should serve your red wine at 58F degrees and wait until it warms up. White wine is best served at a temperature of 47 degrees. If a white wine is too warm, it can have a dull taste.
There is no way of telling when a wine will reach its peak. A lot of bottles are made to be enjoyed immediately and stored bottles will reach their peak at different times in function of storage conditions. You can sometimes get an estimate from an expert who has enjoyed bottles of the same wine.
Having a sniff at the cork from the wine bottle is not the best way to determine whether or not your wine is spoiled. While this may work in some cases, there are times when a cork smells musty and the wine is perfectly fine. Tasting it is the only way to know for sure.
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.
Always smell your wine before you taste it. One reason is that it could be spoiled, which can be easily identified by smelling it, which could save you from getting sick. Additionally, you can also learn a lot about the wine from its aroma, and if you stick with this habit you will begin to identify how over time.
Let any recently uncorked wine breathe for a bit. Giving the wine time to settle helps bring out the rich flavors of the beverage. Use a decanter for this. Pour the wine into one and then let it sit for about a quarter of an hour. You’ll find the wine much more delicious after doing so.
If you are like most people who do not have a wine cellar in their house, find a dark place in your home to store the wine. Make sure the temperature is kept fairly constant and moderate. One good place to store your wine is the bottom of your closet.
Joining a wine club is not always the best way to get a great price on the wine you purchase. While the prices per bottle are typically really good with a wine club membership, the shipping costs can be quite high. Check how much the wine is at your local retailer first and then compare that to the price of the wine with a club membership after adding in shipping.
No matter, how much you enjoy a particular type of wine, do not purchase a whole case of it. As your palate becomes more educated, your taste will change enough that you prefer another variety of wine. This could leave you with a supply of wine in storage that you no longer care for.
Don’t be afraid to get the opinion of others when it comes to choosing your next bottle of wine. As a trusted merchant, or a highly reputable critic to find new wines that you may enjoy. As a general rule, try to take the advice from someone who has similar tastes to your own.
As we said before, you can use wine in a lot of different ways. Choosing the right wine can be key to the optimal enjoyment of your food. Apply the tips from this article to ensure your wine is enhancing the taste of your food.
