A huge wine list and knowing how the various selections differ can make you appear sophisticated. There is a great deal to know about wine, and this article will help you get started. Keep reading to learn more about wine.
If you are new to wine tasting, you should know that true connoisseurs actually spit the wine after tasting it. Spitting the wine is the best way to avoid overpowering your taste buds so you can keep tasting other wines. Take a small sip of wine, wait a few seconds to feel all its different flavors and spit it.
When you are drinking wine, make sure that you savor each sip that you take. Sometimes, you may be drinking a wine bottle that costs a lot of money so you will want to get your money’s worth. This will also help you to enjoy the flavors that you taste.
Simply because a bottle of wine is more expensive than another does not mean that it is necessarily better. You don’t have to buy the most expensive bottles of wine that you find. Try wine at all different price levels. You may like something better that is less expensive than what you usually buy.
Attend as many wine tastings as you have time for. Wine tastings introduce your palette to many different styles of wines. And the people who attend these events may also be much more advanced than you in terms of wine knowledge. You can pick their brains to learn even more!
Not every white whine needs to be chilled before serving. Different types of white wines have unique textures and weights, making each one different with regards to ideal serving temperature. Sauvignon blanc should be served chilled, but chardonnay should be warmed up.
Don’t worry about trying to identify all the flavors in a wine that you are tasting. Some people have a natural affinity for this while others do not. Try to focus instead on how much alcohol is in the product, as well as what type of fruit may be included. Over time, you will probably be able to get a good feel for these elements.
Join online wine forums. You will learn a lot from other connoisseurs and share your own discoveries. You may discover your new favorite wine through the suggestion of a friend.
If you are cooking with wine, don’t hesitate to ask the wine shop-owner/manager for advice. He or she has likely tasted most of the wines available, and can give you an educated suggestion for wines that will enhance your recipe. The shop may even have wine on hand for tasting.
Look for bottles of wine that have a screwcap rather than a cork. Since cork has imperfections in it, it may affect the taste of the wine. While this doesn’t happen often, it is a possibility. Screwcaps are becoming more popular and are less likely to affect the wine in any way.
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 visiting wineries, purchase wine directly from the winery if the winery is a smaller production business. These businesses typically do not sell to retailers and that makes it more difficult to find them on the supermarket shelves. Larger production businesses almost always sell to retailers, and oftentimes for a better price than you can buy directly from the winery at.
Get creative when it comes to the flavors you include in your meal. If your food is spicy, think about pairing it with a sweet wine. It is a great complement to the food that you are eating and can help you mouth prepare for the next bite. Experiment a little to see what flavors you enjoy the most together.
White wine should be served chilled. Always remember to have it chilled in advance of serving it. For the best results, put your wine in the fridge a couple hours before you plan to drink it. When you’re in a hurry, put it in an ice bucket instead.
If possible, make an effort to go out and visit wine country at least once a year. There really is no substitute for visiting a vineyard and drinking a glass of wine in its natural element. You’d be surprised how much better the wine will taste and it will also allow you to see how the wine is made.
If you are going to open a bottle of sparkling wine or champagne, you need to hold the bottle at about a 45 degree angle. Make sure that you are not facing anyone or any breakable objects because the cork could injure someone or break something. Try to hold the top of the cork and twist so that it does not fly through the air when opening.
Look for tips on what foods to pair with what wines. You can greatly enhance the taste of a meal with the right wine, but learning to do this on your own can be very difficult. If you want to get started you can easily find great pairing tips online.
As was stated in the beginning of this article, knowing your wine is a great way to show off your sophistication, however this is much easier said than done. Remember the information from this article the next time you go to choose a wine. You will know all there is to know about wine before you know it.
