When it comes to Champagne, you probably know that it should simply taste good. However, are you aware of all the ways you can care for and choose the best wine? If not, this article is jam packed with great advice to help you get started with the world of wine!
Read up as much as you can on wine through books and magazines. In these works, you will find that some of the best wine connoisseurs in the world rate some of the most popular wines. This will help you to decide what wines you want to buy if you have yet to try them.
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.
Look for online forums of people with similar loves for wine. This is especially true if you live in an area that doesn’t have tastings and clubs. It’s important to find a voice among friends with similar interests. Then, you can learn of new wines to try and share opinions on new pairings and more.
Don’t pay that much attention to color if you are seeking a light wine. The level of alcohol in the wine is not specific to its color (white or red). Still, white wines usually are easier to drink. Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc are both good choices.
It will be a lot easier to talk about wine with other connoisseurs if you master their vocabulary. There are specific words used to describe flavors and colors. You also need to familiarize yourself with different regions and wineries. Have an expert explain these terms to you and present you with a selection of wines to illustrate different examples.
The real flavor of wine comes from the smell. Smell makes up about 90% of the overall taste of wine. The key to bringing this out in the wine is oxygen. When you pour a glass of wine, swirl it in the glass. This allows the wine to mix more readily with the oxygen around it, thus enhancing the flavor fully.
Don’t overbuy on wines you love today. Even though you may have an urge to stock up, people’s wine tastes are always changing. You may love a label now, but might hate it tomorrow. When this happens, you’ll end up with a wine you do not consume, meaning you wasted both money and time.
A lot of wines make great complements to desserts. The dessert wines are usually a little sweeter than your meal wines. Port wines, like ruby port and tawny port, have a natural sweetness to them that makes them go well with desserts like chocolate. These wines taste best when served at 55 degrees.
Make sure that the bottle is very cold when you open it. This will yield much better wine taste, especially if you are serving a large group of people. Obviously, wine will get cold once the bottle is opened, and it is at room temperature, so ascertain that it is cold upon opening.
Many people think that the only wines that are worth drinking have to cost an arm and a leg. While there are a lot of great wines out there that cost an awful lot of money, there are just as many good tasting wines that are much more moderately priced.
After opening a bottle of wine, you may end up losing the cork on the top (especially if you pop the cork). You can still save your bottle by using cling wrap and a rubber band to keep the top sealed. Refrain from drinking the wine if it has been left for over one or two days.
Look for bottles of wine that have a screwcap rather than a cork. Since cork has imperfections in it, it may affect the taste of the wine. While this doesn’t happen often, it is a possibility. Screwcaps are becoming more popular and are less likely to affect the wine in any way.
Call to find out if you need reservations for wine tasting. Often people will think that public wine events don’t require a reservation, but this isn’t always the case. You might need to reserve a spot.
Study up on the right temperatures to drink certain wines. Yes, a few degrees can make a major difference when it comes to a wine’s overall flavor. You may find your favorite wine is perfect at room temperature, but a few degrees warmer or cooler lowers its quality. Keep notes on these peculiarities so that you can make the right choices down the line.
When you are hunting for that great price on a great selection, the discount bottles will be just what you are looking for. The various venues will lower the price for whatever reason and place the same, expensive bottle on the racks for a discounted price. Keep an eye open and you might spot an amazing deal on an amazing flavor.
If you are looking for a good wine choice in a restaurant, ask the wait-staff if they employ a wine-waiter. Restaurants pride themselves on their wine lists, so they will be happy to offer suggestions. Tell them what you are having for dinner, and give a price range. The result will usually be a great wine to complement your dinner!
When selecting a red wine, you need to give the wine a chance to breathe after opening. This gives the wine more time to interact with the oxygen in the air. If you are pressed for time, pour the wine through an aerator and into a decanter so that it breathes properly first.
As you can see, choosing, storing and serving wine is no easy task. It is a task which requires patience and plenty of knowledge before your next party, date or gathering. This article helped serve as a starting point, and make sure you apply all you’ve learned for optimal success!