Have you ever cooked with wine before, or have you ever coveted that nice little wine collection you’ve seen in other homes. Would you like to know what you’re talking about when it comes to wine. Well, keep reading to find out a little more information to make things easier on you.
Try not to exclusively drink the best wine that you can find at all times. Sometimes, you will notice that some of the best tasting wines are medium grade and not the crème of the crop. Explore all types of wine and try them with different meals to determine your favorites.
Keep in mind that an expensive wine is not necessarily good. Everyone has different preferences when it comes to wine and you should not force yourself to drink expensive wines to appear sophisticated. There are plenty of delicious wines you can find at an affordable price. Try different varieties until you find something you really enjoy instead of judging wines in function of their prices.
Particularly if you are just discovering wine, don’t buy too much of any one thing. You may want to grab several bottles of whatever you enjoy, but as you continue learning more, you are going to start to like different things. You probably won’t be interested in the wine that you enjoyed several months ago.
Give wine tastings a try. These fun gatherings will help you to discover new and exciting wines. These events are both social and educational. Bring along your friends. You will have a great time tasting wines with your friends and even meet new, interesting people.
Preserve the flavor of your wine by storing it properly. Extreme temperatures, whether cold or hot, can destroy your wine. Try to keep wine at around 50 degrees as a rule of thumb. You may use a cool basement or a wine refrigerator.
If you want to keep wine for long periods of time, you should consider investing in a wine refrigerator. Even if you have a dry and cool basement you can use, temperature will still vary slightly from one season to the next. The wine you store will keep its flavors if it remains at the exact same temperature.
Serve your wine at the right temperature to get the most flavor from each glassful. Red wines should be served at 60 degrees for maximum taste. Keep your red wine around 58° so that it can warm to the perfect 60° in your glass. Serve white wines near 47 degrees. If it is served warmer, it may result in a dull tasting wine.
If you have a cellar or even just a rack where you can store wine, do not fill the space completely with the wines that you like right now. Your tastes are bound to change over time. You don’t want to be stuck with many cases of a brand you no longer drink.
If you are venturing into trying new wines, it is better to get an experimental bottle over a whole case. Given the wide variety of wines and styles out there, single educational bottles are a great idea whenever drinking something new for the first time. If you like the taste, move up to a half-case.
In order to fully taste the wine, you have to be able to smell it. Make sure that your nose is as clear as possible prior to doing a tasting. Once you have the glass in your hand, lean your face down toward it so that your nose is partially in the glass. Make sure you smell using both the right and the left nostril.
Join a wine of the month club with your friends. This can be a great way of learning about the developments in the wine industry and some of the new wines that are on the market. Also, you can get samples of different wines, which can be purchased by the bottle if you enjoy it.
Believe it or not, the glass you choose to drink your wine out of can have a major affect on your drinking experience. You want a glass whose bowl is round so that the aroma can develop. Also, the top should taper inward; this prevents its essence from getting out.
If you need to find a wine for an important occasion such as a wedding, it is best to have a small wine tasting party beforehand. Invite some of the guests and have them try different wines. Give them a large selection to choose from and do not hesitate to offer different options at the actual event.
If you often find yourself stumped when you visit the wine store, consider purchasing an app for your smart phone. These apps are generally inexpensive, and they can provide valuable information such as reviews of various wines or pairing ideas for certain dishes. They are very user friendly, and you will always have the information you need on hand once you purchase your app.
The lightness of a wine is not related to its color. White wine contains the same percentage of alcohol as red wine. However, if you want a smoother wine, white wine is a better option. Find a nice Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc for very light flavors.
If you need to save wine for another day, cork it and stick it in your refrigerator. The coolness in your fridge will help slow down all of the chemical changes happening in your wine. It’s best if you can finish that wine off within a day, otherwise you may find it tastes quite different than when you uncorked it.
You are definitely ready to use everything you’ve learned now right? Of course you are, and the information should definitely come in handy. You might want to serve that special red wine to your guest or use that specific white wine to cook a certain meal. It’s time to get started!
