Archive for the ‘Wine Tips’ Category

When dining out or at a wine tasting party, you may wonder what kinds of food will make a good match for the wine you have chosen to drink. Food and wine pairings have been a common dilemma for many people; however, it is not difficult once you know the basics of it. Here are a few things to consider when you are hosting a dinner party or another event that calls for the combination of food and wine.

Good food and wine pairings often depend on the person that is tasting them. There are no strict rules as far as food and wine combinations. However, be aware that there would be a contradiction if the palate does not compliment the aroma of the beverage. One of the things that should be considered are the interactions of the flavors themselves. With these interactions, you will have the opportunity to detect the 4 distinct flavors sweet, sour, bitter and salty. You will also have the opportunity to experience the two thundered aromas that are depicted by the nose. When you pair food with wine, you will discover that some foods may either contradict or complement each other.

Another thing to consider is the food that is to be served. Light dishes, such as stir fry, chicken, fish and salads generally compliment white wines, while heavier meals, such as steak and potatoes or pasta dishes such as spaghetti usually compliment red wines. The acidity of the food should also be taken into consideration because the characteristics of the food’s acidity with wines that share the same acidity. Lean foods, such as turkey, will work well with drier wines such as a Gray Riesling.

Pairing food with wine is a tasty and wonderful experience that will be beneficial for you to remember. Therefore it is important that you take note on the relationship between the different foods and wines for future reference.

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Are you new to the world of wine and wine tasting? Have you been invited to a wine tasting event and you don’t know what to expect? Being at a wine tasting event is truly a unique, educational and wonderful experience that you may find enjoyable. Here are a few tips to help you with your first event.

When you attend a wine tasting party, be sure that you do not wear strong smelling perfumes, aftershave or colognes because they will strongly affect the taste of the wine as well as overwhelm the overall smell of it. Strong perfumes and other body scents will also affect other attendees experience. It is also important that you do not smoke, consume mints or chew gum because that will affect the way you taste the wine.

While at the wine tastingevent, you may find that they serve bottled water at room temperature. This water is used to rinse the taste buds in order to prepare them for the next wine tasting. Cold water may shock the taste buds, which will effect the overall taste of the wine. Crackers and bread that are unflavored or unsalted are also served to help cleanse the palate and prepare it for the next wine tasting.

When the wine is served, be sure to hold the glass by it’s stem. The purpose of holding it by the stem is to keep it from heating from the warmth of your hand. The temperature of the wine will also affect it’s taste.

Now that we have the pre tasting tips, here comes the fun part; the actual wine tasting. During this part of the event, you will explore the color, the smell and the taste.

Wine Tasting Tips

The first thing that you will observe is the color. With a white table cloth on the table, you will notice that the white wines
may have a yellow, green or brownish color. Red wines have different shades of red to them and it is known that the lighter the color of the red wine, the older it is. The color will also indicate not only the age, but the taste as well. While observing it’s color, be sure that you slightly tilt the glass of wine and take notice of the rim color. If the rim is purplish, it is an indicator of a young wine; if it is brownish in color, it is an indicator of an older wine.

The next thing to observe when tasting wine is the smell. To get the proper smell of the wine, be sure to swirl it around in the glass to expose the wine to the air and to release it’s flavor. After you swirl the wine, position your nose and inhale through it deeply.

Last, but certainly not least, you taste the wine. It is important that you do not gulp the wine down but instead, take small sips and roll the wine around in your tongue. In the actual taste of the wine, there are three things you need to be aware of; the first impression, the taste of it and the aftertaste.

Now that you know what to expect at a wine tasting event, you can be more confident and can enjoy the whole event from start to end.

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Aging Wine

Wine is a complex substance. Open a bottle of it now, and it may taste fine. Open a bottle of the same wine several years from now, and the wine becomes something else entirely. Rough edges in the flavor will have smoothed out. Aging wine will bring out a smoother and more mellow flavor.

Why age wine? Well, as stated above, the many components of the wine will mellow out over time, and bring a harmonious balance to the flavor of the wine. The tannins, present in red wine, bring a bitter and astringent flavor. Given time, the tannins help to age the wine. In the process of aging wine, the tannins precipitate out of the wine, leaving a smoother and more mellow flavor. As the wine ages, the acids will lose a bit of their bite, allowing the fruit to come out more. As the components of the wine age, they also bring more complexity to the flavor. What you end up with after several years of proper aging is a complex and balanced wine.

What wines should be aged? There are certain guidelines as to what wines should and should not be aged, but they are simply guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Most wines from California are meant to be consumed immediately, and should not be aged. Most white wines should not be aged, as they have a lower amount of tannins than red wine. It is the tannins that are present in red wine that allow the wine to age well. There are a few white wines, however that will improve with a couple of years of aging. Most wines under $25 don’t need to be aged. Many French wines are meant to age and mature over several years. There are exceptions to these rules. Go into a wine shop, and ask what they would recommend for aging wine. They can recommend several good wines, along with some ideas of how long to age the wine.

How do I age wine? Proper storage is essential for aging wine well. Cooler temperatures slow down the aging process, allowing time for the complexity of the wine to develop. The wine should be stored at a constant temperature of 50-60 degrees F. Fluctuating temperatures will cause the wine and the cork to expand and contract, loosening the cork, and exposing the wine to oxygen. The wine should be stored on it’s side, so that the wine is in contact with the cork, preventing it from drying out. The storage area should be dark, and have plenty of moisture to keep the cork from drying, which may loosen it, and subject the wine to oxidation.

Once you have a proper storage area for your wine, go to your local wine shop, and get their recommendations on a good aging wine. Buy a case of wine, and then open up one of the bottles when you get home and taste it. Put the rest of the bottles in storage, and start opening them after a couple of years, and note how the flavors and the complexity of the wine have changed. A new bottle of wine may be good, but a aging wine is even better.

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Wine Pairing

There are no hard and fast rules about wine pairing. Red wine can be paired with fish, and white wine can be paired with beef. Whatever combination you like is a good combination.

Although there are no rules for wine pairing, there are some basic guidelines which can help to choose a good wine pairing. Generally, the wine should be complimentary to the food.

An acidic wine, such as a dry German Riesling, will pair well with sour, acidic foods. The sourness of the wine, will be negated by the sourness of the food, leading to a pleasant match. Acidic wines also match well with salty foods.

Sweet wine will go well with sweet foods. Again, the sweetness of the wine, and the sweetness of the food will cancel each other out. However, if you are having a sweet wine with a sweet dessert, the wine should be at least a little bit sweeter than the dessert, so that the wine will retain its sweetness.

Bitter wines, with a high level of tannins, will make bitter foods taste less bitter. Tannic wines are also calmed by protein, so they would match well with rare beef. 

The best advice when pairing wine with food, is to experiment, and discover for yourself which wine pairing combinations you like the best.

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