Where wine is concerned, there are no short cuts. If you wish to pick out the right bottle and know how to serve it correctly, some things must be learned first. The article below can be used as a starting guide when learning about wine.
The best way to enjoy wine is responsibly. Know your limits and ensure that you don’t overdo it, especially when with guests. While some wine with lunch or dinner is always in good taste, becoming sloppy afterwards due to drunkenness is not. Enjoyed in moderation, wine will be your friend for life.
Never cook with a wine that you do not enjoy the flavor of. When wine cooks down during the cooking process, it concentrates. Any flavors that you do not like will be more prevalent, which means you will not like the taste of the food you have worked so hard to prepare.
When trying wine, go with your gut instinct. For example, if you have a friend that tells you they love a wine and you don’t enjoy it, don’t spend any money on it. You will end up wasting money.
Purchase your inexpensive wines from a warmer climate. While there is no one rule for buying wines, in general, those from warmer climates have the most flavor and appeal. Consider France, California and regions in Australia when making your selection. This is a great way to make a quick choice in the grocery store and come home with a bottle that your guests are likely to enjoy.
Take a trip out to a vineyard. If there is one located close to you, make it a day trip. If not, consider taking a short vacation to go out and explore. An adventure such as this may help you appreciate and love wine even more than you did before.
Try one of the many discussion forums about wine online. Some excellent ones are available, and they provide you with a great place to chat with others and find out which wines may be worth trying. Be sure you do look at the rules of the forum and what it’s like before joining.
You can easily make a mulled wine with only a few ingredients. You will need a bottle of red wine such as Merlot, Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon, a peeled and sliced orange, a quality brandy, honey or sugar and a few spices including whole cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Combine your ingredients into a slow cooker. Then, heat for 30 minutes and enjoy!
Get to as many wine tastings as you possibly can. Taste as many different kinds of wine as you can, and you learn a lot in the process. Not only will you learn about the various kinds of wine, you also learn about wine in general and how to learn good wines from bad very quickly. Just remember that you need to spit!
In order to reuse a bottle, or for easier recycling, be sure you know how to remover the label from an empty bottle. A simple way is to put your bottle in an oven, allow it to heat up, grab it with a pair of mitts, and begin peeling from the corner.
Many people enjoy an after dinner drink, and a rich dessert wine is the perfect choice. California Port makes for a good dessert wine. So does Champagne and the Italian Moscato. If possible, drink it with others in front of a warming fireplace or on the patio with good conversation.
Have a basic idea of what kind of wine you like. Even if you are not sure of what brand, winery or region you prefer, it is pretty easy to determine if you prefer a blush, red or white. By knowing just this basic fact, you can more easily determine which wines are worth trying for your next meal.
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.
Look for groups designed for wine lovers. You will pick up a lot of good tips from other Internet users, and you can share your knowledge as well. You may discover your new favorite wine through the suggestion of a friend.
When you are hunting for that great price on a great selection, the discount bottles will be just what you are looking for. The various venues will lower the price for whatever reason and place the same, expensive bottle on the racks for a discounted price. Keep an eye open and you might spot an amazing deal on an amazing flavor.
Try not to stock up on wines. You might be tempted to fill your home with the kind of wine you love, but what happens if your tastes change? Buy a few bottles, but don’t go all out unless you are committed to limiting yourself to a certain brand or type.
Searching for the best value for your wine? The wine experts claim that you can get the best deals from wine that comes from Chile, such as Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. However, you should not count out wine from other countries, such as Argentina, South Africa, and New Zealand, because you can also find some good values in these places.
Use Evernote as your wine note taking application. There’s many ways you can keep track of your wine adventures, but Evernote lets you pair images and text together. This way you can have an image of the wine’s label along with your opinions on it all in one place! Plus, Evernote is available on nearly every digital platform, so your notes stay with you.
It may be daunting initially since you are unaware of proper selection and serving methods. A bit of knowledge and some experience will help. Apply what you have learned here and you’ll be sure to have a good experience with wine.