Just like a chef must study cooking, so must a would-be connoisseur learn about the selection and serving of fine wines. This article will cover basic tips about how to choose the best wine for a meal and the right way to present it. Once you’ve got it figured out, dinner will never be the same again.
Look for a good wine by comparing ratings. Wines that have even the most modest of followings should be rated. You can easily find wines by rating online and usually in liquor stores as well. The higher the rating the better the wine should be in both quality and taste.
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.
Cheap wine has a bad reputation; however, it can be very delicious. Try a wine from the country of Chile. Wines from this region are often value priced. To be specific, you should consider Cabernet Sauvignons and Sauvignon Blancs. Other countries with reasonably-priced wines are Argentina, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Get out of your area of comfort when you buy wine in a restaurant. If impressing people that you’re eating with is something you want to do, pick out an obscure wine. They will be pleasantly surprised and not find the price too high.
Join a wine of the month club with your friends. This can be a great way of learning about the developments in the wine industry and some of the new wines that are on the market. Also, you can get samples of different wines, which can be purchased by the bottle if you enjoy it.
Don’t just go for wines that are expensive or highly-rated. This can be a real temptation if you have a lot of disposable income, especially when once you did not. Rather, drink a lot of styles of wine so you can choose the ones you personally consider the best. Fill your cellar with these, regardless of price, label or popular opinion.
The real flavor of wine comes from the smell. Smell makes up about 90% of the overall taste of wine. The key to bringing this out in the wine is oxygen. When you pour a glass of wine, swirl it in the glass. This allows the wine to mix more readily with the oxygen around it, thus enhancing the flavor fully.
Taste wines in an environment free of aromas. If you have food cooking, use candles or have other odors present when you are trying to taste a wine you will not get an accurate impression. Aromas will conflict with the taste and could leave you with a distaste for a wine you may have enjoyed otherwise.
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 enjoy storing wines in your home, consider investing in a small wine cooler. Wine coolers are meant to keep the temperature of the bottles around fifty five degrees, which is considered the ideal temperature for wine. They are relatively small, inexpensive and can even add a decorative touch to your kitchen, dining room or living room.
Just because a wine has a screw top does not mean it is bad. A lot of quality brands are switching to these kinds of caps. Screw caps have been proven to keep the wine pure. Less air enters the wines and certainly less cork floats in the bottle. Screw caps are even the norm in some countries.
To really get the most of your glass of wine, you will want to sniff it twice. The first time, take a long, slow whiff from right outside of the glass. The second time, take a sniff with your nose inside of the glass. You will see how much better the wine tastes when you do this.
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.
Buying wine online can be rewarding. Traveling can become expensive, which means visiting local vineyards and wineries in other states is not possible. By researching online, you can find not only great wineries, but also great deals as well. Buying online also gives you the ability to buy in bulk at better savings.
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.
Learn how to read the label to make sure you get exactly what you want with a particular wine. More modern wines have labels that clearly describe the flavor and composition of the contents, whereas old country makers are vague and leave you guessing. Pick up a handy guide to bring with you and be guaranteed of getting a wine you’ll enjoy!
The joys of wine, once mastered can turn any meal into an occasion for celebration. Use these tips to understand how to complement a meal or party with the best wines and you will find any event more enjoyable. Like a great chef though, you’ve got to follow your own preferences too, as you learn.
