Have you ever gone to a fancy restaurant and been confused as to which wine you should order? If so, you’re in luck, as you no longer have to stare at the wine menu in confusion. All you need is the right advice to help you select wine, and this article features just that.
If you are new to wine tasting, you should know that true connoisseurs actually spit the wine after tasting it. Spitting the wine is the best way to avoid overpowering your taste buds so you can keep tasting other wines. Take a small sip of wine, wait a few seconds to feel all its different flavors and spit it.
Select the right glasses when tasting wine or serving it. It is best to use a clear glass so you can look at the color of the wine. Choose a glass with a long stem and a round shape so you can easily swirl the wine. You should avoid using glasses that can contain more than twenty two ounces.
All wines do not taste good while at the same temperature. White wines are better when they are cold, while red wines should be a little below room temperature. Drinking them at the wrong temperature can change the way they are supposed to take, which may change your overall opinion.
Leftover wine should not be saved for any more than four days. When wine comes in contact with oxygen, it starts to break down. This greatly effects the taste and balance. It is best to use any wine you have leftover for cooking instead of drinking it as it is.
Take a trip out to a vineyard. If there is one located close to you, make it a day trip. If not, consider taking a short vacation to go out and explore. An adventure such as this may help you appreciate and love wine even more than you did before.
If you’re taking wine to a tailgating party, selecting one with a screw top is a good idea. The reason is because you can manage screw tops easier than corks because you don’t need a wine opener to open it. Once the party is over, they can easily be resealed, whereas replacing a cork doesn’t provide a tight seal.
You should know that old bottles are often worthless. You could try selling it to another wine connoisseur, but most buyers look for large quantities. Keep in mind that serious buyers will want to know everything about the provenance of the wine you want to sell, which is not always feasible if you found a bottle in your basement.
Tour the areas in which the wines are produced. To gain full appreciation of the different varieties of grapes, you should see where they are grown and harvested. This gives you the right knowledge to discern and explain wine to others. Wine regions are gorgeous and you can have a lot of fun, too.
Don’t just go for wines that are expensive or highly-rated. This can be a real temptation if you have a lot of disposable income, especially when once you did not. Rather, drink a lot of styles of wine so you can choose the ones you personally consider the best. Fill your cellar with these, regardless of price, label or popular opinion.
A good tip if you’re buying any wine from the grocery store is to make sure you get a bottle that’s fresh. Like anything in a supermarket, all the old stuff gets pushed up to the front, so you might need to dig a little deeper to find the newest bottle of wine you want.
Don’t stick to the old rules about which color wine goes with which food. Color is not as important as taste. There are some red wines, like certain pinot noirs, that taste great with fish. Other times, you may find a white wine complements your steak better than a red.
Many different factors go into the pricing behind a great bottle of wine. Your favorite locations, such as Spain may drive a hard bargain for a great selection, but there are alternatives. Nearby areas surrounding your preferred locale may also reveal a delectable flavor for a much lower price than the neighbor.
If you want to surprise your guests with a delightful and daring choice, you should try serving a sparkling wine. More wineries are releasing their own sparkling wine, and you should be able to find a sparkling version of your favorite wine. A sparkling wine is perfect for a festive occasion if you do not want to serve champagne.
Before consuming any wine, you must allow the wine a period to breathe. Breathing allows the wine to release its aromas and soften. This will result in a better tasting wine. Wine should be allowed to breathe a minimum of 30 minutes prior to serving. With younger red wines, you may need to allow the wine to breathe for up to one hour to fully release its aroma.
Red wine is a great choice when eating red meats such as steak or beef dishes. Drinking red wine with these foods can really help to bring out the flavor of both the meal and the wine. You can also use the red wine while cooking to help add to the flavor of the meat.
Remember the importance of storage when you buy a fine wine. It’s best kept cool and within consistent temperatures to preserve taste. Also, always store your bottles away on their side so that the cork will not dry out. If this happens it can break off during removal and fall into the bottle.
Once you get the hang of it, selecting wine is a pretty easy process. Don’t let the different kinds of wine intimidate you into not enjoying a flavorful beverage. The wine advice from this article will come in handy in the future, so use it to your advantage and pick a nice wine for yourself.