Wine aisles can seem intimidating, because of the sheer variety. There are reds, whites and blushes, sparkling, fruity and acidic wines. It’s sometimes tough to decide which is best for your specific needs and taste. This piece is sure to give you the assistance you need to make your selection.
If you are really passionate about wine, you should consider visiting a vineyard. You will learn a lot about how wine is made, what makes a flavor unique and even get a chance to witness the production of your favorite wine if you visit a vineyard during the right season.
Understand the choices offered at your favorite restaurants. To make an impression on your dinner guests, pick wines they may not be familiar with. They will enjoy the opportunity to try something new.
Expensive wines should not be your exclusive choice. If you are really looking to find new wines that meet your tastes you should experiment with wines from all price points and ratings. Sticking with expensive wines is a waste of money and could prevent you from finding the perfect wine for you.
Do not limit yourself to countries that are known for exporting wines such as Spain or France. In fact, some of the best wines on the market are from Argentina or from New Zealand. You should not form your opinion of a country after tasting only a couple different wines.
A good tip if you’re interested in drinking wine is to make sure you serve your wine out of a good glass. You don’t want to serve your guests wine out of something silly and embarrass yourself A good wine glass should be large, have thin glass, and a long stem.
If you notice that you are drinking wine each and every night, take a few nights off. The last thing that you will want to do is become jaded with the taste of wine. After this time period elapses, incorporate wine into your regime again and watch how great it will taste.
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 and Champagne.
If you are new to selecting wines, start off at a store that carries bottles under $20. Wine shops geared toward connoisseurs may have a lot of expensive and confusing choices. Opt for the lower priced wine until you’ve found your favorite flavor and then take it from there.
Do not go out and buy cases of wine just because you like the taste of it. Many times people’s tastes change over time, which means that you may not like this particular wine forever. Buying it in bulk may have you stuck with a lot of wine that you no longer like.
Many kinds of wine go great with desserts. A dessert wine will taste sweeter than dinner wines. Varieties of port wines have a natural sweetness, complementary to most sweets. For best flavor, serve them at about 55 degrees.
Don’t shy away from ordering or buying a bottle of something that you can not pronounce the name of. The clerk is not going to care. If they own the business, they are happy to make the sale. If they just work there, they are watching the clock until the end of their shift and will not remember you in an hour anyway. Don’t deprive yourself of tasting new wines because you can’t speak the name.
Carry a map or some sort of direction for your given area. Some of the best wine venues are incredibly organized and easy to navigate, while others are chaotic and will lose you in the twits-and-turns. Print off a map of your designated area, and you’ll never miss that perfect shop just around the bend.
If you are out on a date or with someone you want to impress, do not order a wine that you have not had before. Try to order wine that you are familiar with, or know that you like. Be adventurous in your own time, when you are not out in public.
Break out of the pairings mythology. It’s not the case that reds only taste good with meats and whites only with fish. There are wines on both sides that pair up well with these dishes. Open up your mind to experimenting with these variations. Otherwise you may be limiting your creativity with wine!
If you are cooking with wine, the type of dish you are making indicates whether you will need a dry or sweet wine. For savory dishes, always choose a dry wine. If you want a dry white wine, try a chardonnay. Dry red wines include merlot and pinot noir.
When stocking your wine collection at home, opt to purchase experimental bottles before buying full cases. With such a vast number of different wines out there, you want to expose yourself to as many wines as possible before committing to a case. Keep your collection full of ‘educational’ bottles.
If you are trying to match a wine with your meal, you should imagine the wine as a food choice. One of the easiest ways to pair wines is to find flavors that would compliment your main dish. For example, if you are serving a spicy meal, choose a wine with pepper undertones for an added layer of flavor. If your food would work well with butter or lemon flavor, consider adding a wine to the meal that contains one of these undertones. The pairing will then be simply perfection.
Rather than settling on cheap champagne when on a tight budget, buy a nice sparkling wine. A great wine from Australia will be reasonably priced and comparable to champagne, whereas a lower-priced bottle of the real bubbly will probably not have a very good flavor. Consider switching out options rather than trading down too far.
As mentioned before, picking a great wine can be difficult indeed. Now you should be more comfortable finding and enjoying good wines. Use the tips from the article above and know more about the wines you drink.