all about Wine

Article Navigation

Click Here for more articles

Choosing wine to match food

by: Claire Calkin

Creating the perfect mix between wine and food can be a challenge if you�re not entirely sure what you�re doing. With such an array of wine and food available there are always many options to consider. When planning a dinner, choose combinations that are popular with a wide range of people. You should always ensure that the wine doesn�t overpower the dish, and you also need to avoid flavor transferring. This occurs when a flavor is passed from the wine to a meal, as it can result in an unpleasant taste.

White Wine:
When creating a wine and food combination, Chardonnay is best complimented with Veal, Salmon, grilled cheese and white sauce. You should avoid spicy foods with this drink. Gewurztraminer is ideal when matched with Pork, Chinese foods and Swiss cheese but must be avoided with light foods. Pinot Grigio is not an ideal option for Tomatoes and spicy food as this combination may create a rather unpleasant taste. Riesling is a very dry wine and perfect when teamed with Veal, Shrimp, cream sauces and Turkey. Sweet food should be avoided with Riesling and Sancerre however.

Red Wine:
In a perfect world a food recommendation would be included on the back of a wine bottle. Fortunately we can give you the insiders tips to getting a wine and food combination just right. Barberra red wine is perfect with Pizza, pasta, lasagne and lemon chicken. When eating fish or tomatoes, Cabernet Sauvignon should be avoided. This wine is better suited with chocolate, roast lamb, steak and duck. Merlot is perfectly matched with grilled meats such as barbecue meat and chicken. Avoid sweet food with this wine. Pinot Noir is not well matched with spicy foods such as Indian, instead it is ideal with Salmon, tuna, lamb and duck. Shiraz is great with a meal of barbecue, peppered red meats and sausage but should be avoided with fish.

In general, wine is best served at a chilled temperature, as it is able to breathe and create the perfect mix of aromas that will delight the senses and impress your guests. Each type of wine has a glass that coordinates with it. If you don�t have a cupboard full of every wineglass imaginable though, use the next closest looking glass. The reason that there are so many types of wineglasses available, is that each one is designed to emphasise the full aromas and tastes within a given type of wine. If the wine isn�t served in quite the right glass, all these aromas and flavors may not be fully realised.

How much to serve:
Wine should be opened and served carefully, especially red wine as this may create a nasty mess if spilt on white clothing or dinner wear. Do not overfill glasses. It is best to serve a small amount of wine at first, as this will allow the remainder of the wine in the bottle to breathe. White wine should have an average serving of three ounces, spirits one ounce and red wine four or five ounces. Serving smaller servings will help the wine last longer and will allow guests to savour it over a greater length of time.

Temperature Guidelines:
Normally a bottle of wine may take up to three hours before it is appropriately chilled in the refrigerator. Serving the wine at the correct temperature may be a difference of whether the wine will be ideal to drink for maximum aroma and taste, and may make or break a charming dinner experience for you and your guests. A great way to chill your wine to perfection fast and easily is to place your bottle into a bucket filled with ice and a sprinkling of salt. Push the wine into the depths of the ice to quickly chill the bottle. The more expensive the wine the warmer it can be served. White wines especially the dry sorts are best served at lower temperatures however. And, lastly heavy wines are best served at the room temperature.

About the author:
Claire Calkin operates several websites offering advice to people on decorating and enhancing their homes.

claire@floyds-wine.com
http://www.floyds-wine.com

Circulated by Article Emporium

Read Articles:

How to Store Wine

Guide To Buying Wine Glasses

One Chef, or a Bevy of Chefs?

Culinary Traditions Of France

How Wine is Made

Cantonese Regional Cuisine

The Art Of Coffee Roasting

Merlot: A Quick Guide

HOW TO LAY DINNERWARE

Kitchen Pantry - A Cook's Secret Weapon

Coffee: Is It Getting Too Complicated?

8 Important Facts About the Mediterranean Diet

What puts the sparkle in sparkling wine?

Experience The Joy Of Eating At A Restaurant

Satisfy Your Wine Desires - Join a Wine Club

Tools For Your Gourmet Kitchen

A guide to gourmet coffee

THREE RULES FOR CHOOSING THE RIGHT DINNER WINE

How to Begin Wine Collecting

Are you in search of the best sourced help pert...

Raise A Glass To The Best Wine Of The Month Gifts!

History of the Coffee and Espresso machines

Gift of the month clubs: The lazy man's guide t...

Italian Cuisine: In The Heart Of Tuscany

Regional Cuisine � New England Clam Chowder

Champagne Wine

American Fast Food Restaurants

What Should You Serve If Some Of Your Dinner Pa...

What wine really is (just in case you thought y...

Is Acai the world's most powerful superfood?

Foods To Avoid That Cause Bad Breath

More Article Pages 1 - 2

Choosing Wine on a First Date
by: Neil Best

First dates are nerve wracking enough without having to worry about what wine to choose to impress your new friend!

One of the great things about wine on a date is that one bottle is a defined amount, normally about five glasses. If shared equally it is unlikely that you will fall off your chair drunk after half a bottle of wine!

However, there are some other social sins that can be committed whilst choosing wine on a date.

Getting Started

First, you need to decide whether you want white, red, ros� or sparkling wine. This is perhaps the most important decision. As a general rule, red wine is more of an acquired taste and it can be harder to select a good red. Therefore, when you do not know your companion's tastes it may be wise to steer clear of the red wine section.

Sparkling wine can make you appear a little pretentious or if you go for a cheaper version, a tightwad; so this is usually best avoided. If you are not sure whether your companion likes wine at all, ros� wine is often a safe option as it often lacks the sharpness that people commonly dislike in wines.

How Much to Spend?

Remember more money doesn't always mean more quality. If you are very new to wine, go for a house white. A house white is unlikely to be extremely imaginative or unusual, but is almost always perfectly drinkable. For this reason it is a safe, middle of the road option.

If you want to impress, look for something other than the house white. Keep away from extremes until you know your companion a little better, so don't go for bone dry whites. Instead, opt for a fruity dry wine that appeals to those who like both dry and medium whites.

Whilst neutral wines may seem like a bit of a cop-out, bear in mind that you simply want a drinkable wine that does not offend.

If you are really not sure what to choose, why not offer your companion a choice of glasses as an aperitif while you have a beer or spirit. This way you can judge your companion's taste. Even if they select a spirit, you can still get a measure of whether they prefer sweet or dry wines.

Of course, you could always give your companion the choice�

This Static Spot is open for sponsor

This Static Spot is open for sponsor