Making Your Meal Stand Out Through Wine Selection

TIP! Pinot Grigio is an excellent complement to any ocean fish. The flavors complement each other well.

Wine has a history that spans several thousand years. It can be enjoyed as is, or incorporated into recipes. It is important to always choose a wine that compliments the meal, rather than disagrees with it.

TIP! Consider joining an online forum about wine. There are some great ones out there, and they are a wonderful place to interact with others and get ideas on which wines are worth exploring.

Let your instincts guide you when you’re trying out wines. If you have a friend who suggests a new wine that they absolutely love, but you don’t enjoy that type of wine, don’t purchase it. You will end up wasting money.

TIP! Get a screw top bottle if buying wine for tailgating. Screw tops can be much easier to manage.

Storage is key to keeping wine fresh. Temperatures that are either too hot or too cold can alter the taste of your wine. Flavors should be allowed to reach their full potential by storing wines between 50 and 55 degrees. If you have a cool basement, it is perfect for storing wine. You can also purchase a wine refrigerator for this purpose.

Wine Cellar

TIP! One wine tip that is helpful is knowing how to peel the labels off of any bottle of wine. The easiest way to put the bottle inside an oven until it’s hot.

If you are really into it, build a wine cellar, it is worth it. You cannot store expensive wine or large quantities of wine in your kitchen for long periods of time. A wine cellar will ensure that your wine’s quality remains high for a long duration.

TIP! Join online wine forums. Here, you can find like-minded people with a mutual interest in wine, and you will be afforded the opportunity to mingle and share knowledge and information.

Not all wines age well, so take this into consideration. Learn about the wine in your possession, particularly its longevity, so that you will be able to use it when you are ready. Bordeaux is an exceptional choice for aging, if you so desire.

TIP! White wines are best enjoyed young. Chardonnay, however, is the exception to this rule.

Visit the regions that grow the wine. Visiting the areas where your favorite wine is made will give you a greater appreciation of the different taste of the grapes. Doing this provides you with a better context of the wine, allowing you to explain all the smells and tastes to your family and friends. On top of that, the trip itself will be exquisite.

TIP! Make sure you are only drinking the particular wines you love. Certain restaurants and bars, especially if they are associated with a celebrity, may promote a particular brand of wine.

Step outside of your comfort area when you order wine when eating out. If it is your desire to make a good impression on your dinner companions, you should select a wine that they are not familiar with. They will not have any expectations, and they will not be surprised by the high cost.

TIP! Don’t fall into the trap of filling your cellar with all the wines that you enjoy right now. While you might want to own a great deal of it, you may find that your taste changes significantly over time.

Have some fun with wines by trying different countries and years. There is much to learn about wine, from how it is made to how it is paired with certain foods. Be creative, have fun and enjoy wine.

TIP! The vintage year of a wine is the year that the grapes were harvested. A wine with a date of 2010 means that those grapes were harvested during autumn of 2010.

A trip to a winery requires advance planning. Find someone who can drive you home after the visit and establish a budget before you go to the winery. Draft some questions in advance and be prepared to articulate your preferences in wine.

TIP! Ensure you are drinking your wine when you are relaxed. Drinking in the wine means ignoring the world around you.

Wine forums can be a great place to share information. You can learn a lot from others that are passionate about wine, or you can share your tips with them. You might find a wine you really love based on a suggestion.

TIP! Toasts are a regular part of large social groupings. Consequently, you will all be clinking the wine glasses.

When it comes to deciding what flavors you prefer, listen to your palate–not another person. If it tastes pleasant to you, it is good. Remember this when choosing wines. Your own unique taste will guide you in choosing the wines that you most like. The upshot here is that if your friends don’t like your favorite, you can save more for yourself!

TIP! Don’t turn your nose up at screw cap wines. More and more quality varieties are moving to screw caps.

The proper method for storing wine depends on its type and region. Many drink Rioja in the U.S. and that can last up to seven years after it’s bottled. Make sure you keep it somewhere dark and cool.

TIP! You should not order wine by the glass when you are eating out. Keep in mind that having six glasses means you’re drinking a whole bottle, so be sure to share.

Try to distinguish the smells and flavors of each wine glass you have. You may recognize some floral and fruit aromas in specific wines. You may also taste sweet caramel or smoky flavors. You will get better at distinguishing these aromas with practice.

Screw Caps

TIP! Sake is one type of wine many have never had. Sake is a rice wine primarily associated with Japanese style foods.

Don’t think less of wines with screw caps. This is becoming an increasing trend among higher caliber wines. The wine often tastes better in this type of bottles. These stoppers prevent air from permeating the liquid, and it also helps to prevent bits of crumbled cork from sullying the wine. In fact, screw caps have become quite routine among bottlers in many countries.

TIP! White wines are great for cooking and drinking with seafood. It is truly capable of enhancing seafood’s flavor.

A lot of people stick to a few names and years they enjoy, but you should not hesitate to try new things. Sometimes, you need to quench your taste buds with a new variety of wine. If the clerk has a recommendation, try the selection for a pleasant surprise.

TIP! You can pick your wine and then sell them later down the line. You want to invest in wines that will increase in value, and that can also be stored for a long time.

Allow red wines to breathe for a while before serving them to your guests. Oxygen and wine will have a glorious chemical reaction inside the bottle as it reaches room temperature. The end result is a much fuller taste as the ingredients get stirred up.

TIP! Using wine to cook is a terrific method of deepening the flavor of food, though you must not use wines that would not be good enough to drink on their own. Expensive wine is not a requirement, but do not buy a bottle just because the label has “cooking wine” on it.

As was stated in the beginning of this article, wine can be used in a variety of different ways. Therefore, selecting the right wine for drinking or cooking with is important. Use the things you have learned here so that you know your wine is making your food taste better.