Wine is a worthy beverage to serve on special occasions, parties or business gatherings. However, there are many choices that you have to make in order to find, serve and store your favorite bottle properly. With some acquired knowledge and research on your part, you can become the next wine tasting connoisseur. Read on below to gather some great tips and enhance your knowledge about wine.
Read up as much as you can on wine through books and magazines. In these works, you will find that some of the best wine connoisseurs in the world rate some of the most popular wines. This will help you to decide what wines you want to buy if you have yet to try them.
Keep in mind that while some individuals are billed as experts when it comes to wine, no one knows everything. Your personal preferences are your own. You may like something that an expert really hates. Make up your own mind and have fun trying new things and experimenting. You won’t regret it!
Do you need a wine all your guests will enjoy? Instead of choosing a rare wine people might not appreciate, choose a Beaujolais, a Chilean, a Sauvignon or a Cava from Spain. These wines are easy to find and offer enough diversity to remain interesting for connoisseurs without making novices feel like they are sophisticated enough to enjoy the wine.
You can make amazing pairings with your favorite wine. For example, you can pair a Chardonnay with either Gouda or Provolone. For stronger cheeses, such as Cheddar, opt for a Cabernet such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc. Zinfandel wines go beautifully with the more delicate cheeses such as Feta and Gouda.
A good tip when trying to research wines is to find a critic or expert that has a similar palate to you. Everyone’s tastes are different and that includes critics. Try to find a critic that likes similar wines and you’ll be amazed with all the new wines you’ll be introduced to.
Even though white wines should be thoroughly chilled when you drink them, you should avoid storing them in a refrigerator for weeks at a time. The best thing to do is to keep them at room temperature and refrigerate them an hour or two before you plan on serving them.
Be very experimental when you are purchasing wine. You can experience different regions by trying their wines. Sample one that a shop person recommends, or experiment with one because of the talking card near it. You may be surprised to discover a new favorite.
Various factors determine the proper temperature for white wines. Every white wine is not the same texture, so they may be better served at different temperatures. Chardonnay and pinot gris, for example, usually taste better when warm.
Don’t fall for the trap that cheap wine is bad and expensive wine is good. There are exceptional inexpensive wines and wines that cost a small fortune that are difficult to drink. Experience as many different types as you can, no matter the price. WHo knows – you may find a favorite that is well within your everyday drinking budget.
When buying wine for dinner, take into consideration the food you will be serving. As a general rule, red wines pair well with beef based dishes, while white wines work well with seafood and vegetarian dishes. If you are not sure about which wine to pair with your meal, ask at your local wine store to receive a little help.
If you go to a restaurant with a sommelier, do not hesitate to ask for help when choosing your wine. The sommelier will know everything about the wines on the menu and will even be able to make a personalized recommendation if you let them know what kind of wine you usually enjoy.
Many grapes for wines are grown on hills as they’re typically protected from frost there. At the same time, water won’t pool on a hill and drains away, keeping grapes safe from rot or over-watering. If you plan to make your own wine, plant your grapes on a hill which faces south.
The grape type and color used is what determines the difference between different types of wine. To create red wine, the winemaker must use bold, strongly flavored purple grapes. Green grapes are used for white wine and make a crisp and light flavor. Obviously, these two wines have more differences, but this is the foundation for them.
Ask if you can taste a few wines before buying. Most wine stores will offer tastings to their customers on a regular basis or set schedule. By trying a few varieties in the store, you can increase your chances of walking out with a bottle you really love. This is a better way to shop than buying blindly.
A common misconception about the term “vintage” is that it refers to when the actual wine was made. The truth is that the term refers to the year the grapes were harvested. Thus, a 2010 vintage contains grapes harvested in that year. After the grapes were harvested, they were fermented and aged and then the bottling occurred. It will take a few years for the wine to actually appear on the shelf.
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.
There are so many things you need to consider when it comes to the world of wine. Anything done wrong can hinder the taste of this great alcohol. Ensure your serving success by applying all of the informative things that you’ve just read from this article. By choosing to play it smart, you can ensure your next gathering’s success.
