Tuesday, March 12, 2013

What Everyone Needs To Know About Wine

By Long Dobrinin


The simplicity of enjoying wine starts with a foundation of knowledge. That foundation begins when you seek out an education. Your wine education can begin today by reading this article in full and gathering the advice within for your own use. This will lead to many years of great enjoyment.

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.

Many different factors go into the pricing behind a great bottle of wine. Your favorite locations, such as Spain may drive a hard bargain for a great selection, but there are alternatives. Nearby areas surrounding your preferred locale may also reveal a delectable flavor for a much lower price than the neighbor.

Allow red wines to warm up. Often, red wines are stored at temperatures near 60 degrees. The best temperature for serving red wines is above 70 degrees, which allows the full body of the wine to be present. When you open a bottle of red, allow it to sit and come to room temperature before drinking.

Don't base your opinion solely on that of an expert. Every person tastes wine differently, so let your taste buds be the judge whenever you can get your hands on a specific bottle. You may experience something very differently than the experts. You would have never known that without taking the leap.

Make sure that you drink at least one glass of wine a day with one of the meals that you have. Wine is great in helping with your heart, especially red wine. Do not drink too much though, as excess wine can cause you to feel groggy and can hurt your health.

If you are having red meats, stick to red wine. This is the general principle, and should rarely be veered away from. Red wine helps to bring out the flavor in the steak or meat that you choose and vice versa, giving you the best possible experience while you are eating lunch or dinner.

Always be prepared for any occasion by keeping a mixed collection of wines nicely stored in a cool dark place. Setting up a centrally located closet as a wine cellar is a good idea. By keeping a few good bottles of wine at the ready, you will be able to graciously play host at any impromptu occasion.

If you are having a party and serving wine, do not forget to have several wine openers on hand. Wine openers are easy to lose, and if you have only one, your guests might be disappointed before the night is over. Have at least two or three extra wine openers on hand to keep your guests happy through the night.

Never allow other people's tastes to influence your own. Don't stop drinking a type of wine you love because your friends or wine experts do not. Also, don't start drinking wine that you hate in order to impress them. The purpose of drinking wine should be for your personal enjoyment.

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.

Choose your food and wine pairings carefully. Typically, white wine is suitable for light dishes, salads or fish. Red wine goes well with heavier dishes and dark meats. The rule of thumb is the heavier or darker the dish, the darker the wine that you choose. If you have having a multi-course dinner, start with white wine and progress to red wine.

Look for online forums of people with similar loves for wine. This is especially true if you live in an area that doesn't have tastings and clubs. It's important to find a voice among friends with similar interests. Then, you can learn of new wines to try and share opinions on new pairings and more.

If you find a wine, you enjoy a lot, consider buying a case or two of it. A case of wine is almost always less expensive per bottle than buying each bottle individually. You can keep the wine for yourself and enjoy it on a regular basis, or you can have it on hand to give as gifts.

If you are purchasing wine glasses for your next party or event, consider purchasing wine glass jewelry to place on the glasses. This jewelry is easy to find at many boutique stores, and it can provide your guests with an easy way to distinguish their glass from other guests glasses.

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.

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.

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.

With all of this advice under your belt, you're sure to know more about wine now. This will allow you to be a better sommelier in your own home, at a friend's house or elsewhere. This will lead to many more delicate glasses of wine gracing your lips and a great deal of enjoyment ensuing.




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