Have you ever been to a restaurant with the intention of buying a glass of wine, only to be handed a binder full of selections to choose from? Well, it’s times like these where knowing a bit about wine can go a long way. Read on and learn some valuable information about wine.
Make a habit of trying new wines as often as you can. You will have the best chances of finding a wine that suits your tastes if you take the time to experiment with them. Everyone has different tastes, so just because a wine is said to be excellent does not mean that you will enjoy it, so get out there and try them.
Wine goes extremely well with pasta dishes. To choose the perfect wine remember that red wines work best with heavy sauces such as tomato sauce. Pair white wines with white sauces and salads. For basil pestos and other meatless dishes, you should opt for a complimentary wine such as a rosé.
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.
Look at the entire wine store. Do not just stay in one aisle. Some stores are better organized than others, and you may even find some great deals in a section that you may not normally look in. Take some time to explore it. Surveying the store can help you avoid missing anything.
All cheap wine isn’t bad. Try Chilean wines if you’re searching for a good wine that doesn’t cost a ton. A lot of their wine have a good price. Be sure to really look at Cabernet Sauvignons and Sauvignon Blancs. There are other countries with great deals, so keep your eyes peeled.
Try new things when buying wine! Sampling a wine is one of the best — not to mention tastiest — ways to learn about a country or winery. Check the cards on the shelves, ask a seller for recommendations or pick a wine at random. The wine you find might be a hidden gem.
A useful tip in the wine realm is knowing how to get the label off of your wine bottle. The easiest way to do this would be to place a bottle in your oven until it gets hot. After this, grab it with oven mitts and start peeling at the corner.
When cooking with wine, let your recipe help guide your choice. If you are simply using wine to de-glaze a pan, a splash of just about anything will do. However, if wine is a main ingredient, such as in Coq au Vin, you may want to splurge a little to do the dish justice.
You can count on wine to make any sauce delicious. For example, if you were considering making penne alla vodka but don’t want to have to use vodka and you’d rather go for something lighter, you can certainly use white wine instead. Experimenting with sauces will surely result in a truly delicious pasta dish. You can also add crushed chili flakes if you like your sauces spicy.
If you are not too familiar with wine, make sure to shop at a wine store. While many grocery stores and even some convenient stores carry wine, they do not have the staff on hand who really understand wine. If you shop with professionals, you will have a better chance of finding the wine you want and gaining valuable information in the process.
As you now know, there is a lot of information to deal with when it comes to wine. However, when you have the right information and put in a little effort, you can be a wine expert in no time. Just make sure to enjoy your wine education, as it is supposed to be fun!