Does the idea of having to pick a bottle of wine fill you with dread? Do you understand what chardonnay is versus a blush wine? If you’re lost when picking wine, you need to expand your wine knowledge. The tips contained within this article can give you a good head start.
Get to know your local wine shop. It is important to know the difference in shops. Every store has different prices, selections and focus. Going to stores full of pricey wine bottles may not be best for those new to wine. Find a shop that best suits your tastes.
Don’t let others decide which wines you should try. 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. This only ends up in wasted money on bottles you won’t enjoy.
If you are looking to increase your wine collection, try picking individual bottles to use as testers. It’s impossible to know whether or not you’ll like a wine without tasting it. Just buy a bottle and go for it!
In order to make the most out of your wine’s longevity, purchase a wine cellar. This is particularly useful if you’ve got expensive wines that you don’t want to store in the kitchen. A cellar keeps wine fresh for a long time.
Cheap wine has a bad reputation; however, it can be very delicious. Chile produces great wine. A lot of their wine have a good price. Cabernet Sauvignon is a fantastic wine for its price. Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa are also places that have great prices on their wines.
Amass a wide range of wine within your cellar. This is important because you won’t be prepared for various situations with only one type of wine readily available. You’ll become a better host to guests when you have many kinds of wine to offer.
Pay attention to the experts but do not take them too seriously. Good experts know that they may not always be right. Also, their personal preferences aren’t likely to be the same as your own. So, this is why it’s important to take experts with a grain of salt.
Removing the label from a bottle is simple. The best way to do this is putting your bottle into the oven. After a few minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, take out the bottle with oven mitts and delicately peel off the label, starting at the corner.
Use the right stemware when serving wine. Use clean glasses to make sure the guests can truly appreciate the color and taste of the wine you are serving. It’s time to buy some new pieces when you notice chips or when the stemware becomes outdated.
Only drink wines that you like. Sometimes restaurants and bars promote specific brands of wine. The flip side is that these brands typically cost way too much, sometimes even twenty times as much as the wholesale price! Price does not necessarily mean better quality. Therefore, it is important to know the wines that you like, and stick to them.
Lots of wines go wonderfully with dessert. Usually, dessert wines are sweeter than wines that are served with a meal. Ruby Port or Tawny Port are just two of the many port wines that are delicious with all kinds of desserts and chocolates. For best flavor, serve them at about 55 degrees.
Mix it up a little when selecting your wine store purchases. Drinking the same wine all the time can keep you from discovering new ones that might be better than your current favorite. Try different flavors or brands of wine to find one that you love. You may save some money in the process.
Do not let the opinions of others color your wine palate. If a wine appeals to your palate, then it is automatically good. This is the rule you should live by. Your palate is different from anybody else’s. The best part about having a wine as a favorite that others dislike is that you get more of it!
Do not hesitate to use wine for drinking or to drink alone if you need to relax. Marinating a steak in red wine tenderizes it while adding flavor. You can also include white wine with your seafood dishes. Just a splash added to your favorite recipe can make quite a difference!
This article should have made you more confident when it comes to the topic of wine. Take this article with you when you go wine shopping. It will be helpful to have it if you get overwhelmed by sheer number of choices. Armed with this information, you’ll be able to make a great choice.