How to Choose Wine
Read the back of the label to get ideas about the wine's flavor, body and potential pairings., Consider how strongly flavored or rich the meal is, and match it with a similarly full-bodied wine., Try to find flavors of wine that complement the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Read the back of the label to get ideas about the wine's flavor
Most people buy wines based on labels they like, but take things a step further and actually read the winemaker's description.
They frequently point to the prominent flavors and character of the wine, and sometimes suggest food pairings as well.
If you're at a restaurant, check the basic descriptions before choosing a wine
-- most places offer at least a sentence or two about each wine.
Expressions like "blend" and "table wine" are usually cheaper, but frequently bland and unbalanced.
These wines use a variety of grapes from a wide area that weren't suited for more specific types of wine.
They can be great for casual drinks or meals, however.If the wine list at a restaurant has no description, talk to your waiter.
Chances are high that they, not the menu, are the experts on each bottle and varietal. -
Step 2: body and potential pairings.
The idea of "red with meat, white with fish," is far too simple.
The more important goal is for the wine and meal to complement each other.
A "heavy" meal is usually dense and strongly flavored
-- a meat sauce, a spicy dish, or a hearty soup or stew
-- and requires a strongly flavored wine to cut into these flavors.
You don't want either the dish to overpower the taste of the wine or vice versa
-- they should both have a similar depth.
Wines that are described as "full-bodied," "deep," "complex," "rich," or "densely layered" are best with heavier meals.
Even powerful whites can be deep and complex, making them great with spicy dishes or heartier fare.
Wines that are described as "light," "balanced," "crisp," or "refreshing" are great for lighter meals with less powerful flavors
-- vegetables, pastas, fish, chicken, and lighter cheeses. , Pair, for example, a light, citrus-y white wine with a lemon chicken dish.
Use a deep, smokey red to match up with the barbecued pork shoulder.
Matching these flavors up will help create a seamless meal experience, highlighting key notes in both the dish and the wine.
When picking complementary flavors, think about how the food would taste if that flavor was added from the wine.
For example, if you have a deep red with "hints of chocolate, spice, and blackberry," ask yourself if chocolate, spice, and blackberry would look out of place on your plate.
There isn't ever a perfect comparison, but it is a good place to start., There are two schools of thought when pairing wines
-- complementing flavors and boldly contrasting them.
Neither is completely right, and you should try out both approaches as you get more comfortable choosing wine.
When contrasting, think about balance.
A salty, acidic food like oysters, for example, is well balanced by a fruity, softer Sauvignon Blanc.
A hot, oily curry is well contrasted by an acidic, fresh, and citrus-like red, like a Rose.
When considering contrasted flavors, think about the acidity of the food and the texture.
Oily or creamy foods are well cut by acidic (sharp tasting) wines, acidic foods are balanced out by fuller, less bitter wines.Big, complex dishes with lots of flavors, like Paella, are well contrasted by simpler, well-balanced wines.
This allows the dish to command the "attention" with a light, palate-cleansing wine behind it., Cut through the spice with a sweeter wine, which will naturally complement each other.
Remember that lighter wines can be either red or white, depending on your preferences, but almost all restaurants will offer some wines that are more "refreshing," or "fruity." Sweeter wines, such as Riesling, pair well with spicy foods, while woody wines, such as Chardonnay, go well with creamy foods or with foods that have several herbs and seasoning.
Look for citrus, berries, floral notes like honeysuckle, and hints of gentle spices like vanilla to find good wines to match with spicy foods.
This doesn't mean asking for a "sweet" wine, like a dessert wine.
Instead, focus on the fresher, sweeter fruit notes in the description instead of a "sweet" wine. , If you're trying to impress, it may be best to do some research before spending the cash.
Websites and magazines like Wine Spectator, Food & Wine, and Wine Enthusiast offer apps and online reviews of just about every wine on the market, allowing you to quickly and easily see if an expensive wine is worth the sticker price.
Most wine shops place labels indicating high-ranked wines.
That said, they never get all of them, and you shouldn't skip a wine just because it wasn't , The waiter at a restaurant should be able to offer suggestions to help you choose a wine that will complement your meal, and should be knowledgeable of the wines they offer and the meals they pair well with.
Depending on where you live, the staff at your local wine shop may be well versed in wine.
They may be able to make recommendations based on your price range and based on what you plan on pairing with the wine, as they see and sample hundreds of wines a month.
Some fancier restaurants may have sommeliers, or in-house wine experts, to help patrons pick a red wine or other pairings. , All wines change, develop, and evolve with age.
Further complicating things, every wine ages differently, making choosing based on the year a fool's errand unless you're a seasoned pro.
That said, there are some common traits that all wines take on as they age, including:
When shopping for light, refreshing, and easy-drinking styles, aim for the younger bottles
-- they tend to loose fruity qualities with age.
Denser, complex wines typically need to age for a few years to develop the best taste.
Aging will soften "tannins," which is the bitter taste prominent in many wines.
Flavor intensity generally grows with age, though some wines have a "cocoon period" where they mellow out before growing again in flavor. -
Step 3: Consider how strongly flavored or rich the meal is
-
Step 4: and match it with a similarly full-bodied wine.
-
Step 5: Try to find flavors of wine that complement the flavors in the dish through simple matching.
-
Step 6: Go bold and search out contrasting flavors to make a dish really pop.
-
Step 7: Match sweeter and fruit-inspired wines with spicier foods.
-
Step 8: Consider using wine ratings to help pick out more expensive bottles.
-
Step 9: Ask the waiter or wine store staff for recommendations to help navigate the waters.
-
Step 10: Consider the vintage
-
Step 11: or year
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Step 12: when you choose wine
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Step 13: but understand that all wines age differently.
Detailed Guide
Most people buy wines based on labels they like, but take things a step further and actually read the winemaker's description.
They frequently point to the prominent flavors and character of the wine, and sometimes suggest food pairings as well.
If you're at a restaurant, check the basic descriptions before choosing a wine
-- most places offer at least a sentence or two about each wine.
Expressions like "blend" and "table wine" are usually cheaper, but frequently bland and unbalanced.
These wines use a variety of grapes from a wide area that weren't suited for more specific types of wine.
They can be great for casual drinks or meals, however.If the wine list at a restaurant has no description, talk to your waiter.
Chances are high that they, not the menu, are the experts on each bottle and varietal.
The idea of "red with meat, white with fish," is far too simple.
The more important goal is for the wine and meal to complement each other.
A "heavy" meal is usually dense and strongly flavored
-- a meat sauce, a spicy dish, or a hearty soup or stew
-- and requires a strongly flavored wine to cut into these flavors.
You don't want either the dish to overpower the taste of the wine or vice versa
-- they should both have a similar depth.
Wines that are described as "full-bodied," "deep," "complex," "rich," or "densely layered" are best with heavier meals.
Even powerful whites can be deep and complex, making them great with spicy dishes or heartier fare.
Wines that are described as "light," "balanced," "crisp," or "refreshing" are great for lighter meals with less powerful flavors
-- vegetables, pastas, fish, chicken, and lighter cheeses. , Pair, for example, a light, citrus-y white wine with a lemon chicken dish.
Use a deep, smokey red to match up with the barbecued pork shoulder.
Matching these flavors up will help create a seamless meal experience, highlighting key notes in both the dish and the wine.
When picking complementary flavors, think about how the food would taste if that flavor was added from the wine.
For example, if you have a deep red with "hints of chocolate, spice, and blackberry," ask yourself if chocolate, spice, and blackberry would look out of place on your plate.
There isn't ever a perfect comparison, but it is a good place to start., There are two schools of thought when pairing wines
-- complementing flavors and boldly contrasting them.
Neither is completely right, and you should try out both approaches as you get more comfortable choosing wine.
When contrasting, think about balance.
A salty, acidic food like oysters, for example, is well balanced by a fruity, softer Sauvignon Blanc.
A hot, oily curry is well contrasted by an acidic, fresh, and citrus-like red, like a Rose.
When considering contrasted flavors, think about the acidity of the food and the texture.
Oily or creamy foods are well cut by acidic (sharp tasting) wines, acidic foods are balanced out by fuller, less bitter wines.Big, complex dishes with lots of flavors, like Paella, are well contrasted by simpler, well-balanced wines.
This allows the dish to command the "attention" with a light, palate-cleansing wine behind it., Cut through the spice with a sweeter wine, which will naturally complement each other.
Remember that lighter wines can be either red or white, depending on your preferences, but almost all restaurants will offer some wines that are more "refreshing," or "fruity." Sweeter wines, such as Riesling, pair well with spicy foods, while woody wines, such as Chardonnay, go well with creamy foods or with foods that have several herbs and seasoning.
Look for citrus, berries, floral notes like honeysuckle, and hints of gentle spices like vanilla to find good wines to match with spicy foods.
This doesn't mean asking for a "sweet" wine, like a dessert wine.
Instead, focus on the fresher, sweeter fruit notes in the description instead of a "sweet" wine. , If you're trying to impress, it may be best to do some research before spending the cash.
Websites and magazines like Wine Spectator, Food & Wine, and Wine Enthusiast offer apps and online reviews of just about every wine on the market, allowing you to quickly and easily see if an expensive wine is worth the sticker price.
Most wine shops place labels indicating high-ranked wines.
That said, they never get all of them, and you shouldn't skip a wine just because it wasn't , The waiter at a restaurant should be able to offer suggestions to help you choose a wine that will complement your meal, and should be knowledgeable of the wines they offer and the meals they pair well with.
Depending on where you live, the staff at your local wine shop may be well versed in wine.
They may be able to make recommendations based on your price range and based on what you plan on pairing with the wine, as they see and sample hundreds of wines a month.
Some fancier restaurants may have sommeliers, or in-house wine experts, to help patrons pick a red wine or other pairings. , All wines change, develop, and evolve with age.
Further complicating things, every wine ages differently, making choosing based on the year a fool's errand unless you're a seasoned pro.
That said, there are some common traits that all wines take on as they age, including:
When shopping for light, refreshing, and easy-drinking styles, aim for the younger bottles
-- they tend to loose fruity qualities with age.
Denser, complex wines typically need to age for a few years to develop the best taste.
Aging will soften "tannins," which is the bitter taste prominent in many wines.
Flavor intensity generally grows with age, though some wines have a "cocoon period" where they mellow out before growing again in flavor.
About the Author
Richard Wright
Committed to making cooking accessible and understandable for everyone.
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