A Simple Food and Wine Pairing Guide

There used to be strict, snobby rules about which food goes with what wine, but the relaxing of attitudes towards wine drinking and fine dining have somewhat done away with the rules and just allowed people to consume whichever wine they please with whatever type of food they deem fit. However, many people realize that the rules previously in place were there for a reason. Of course, one can still choose or continue to drink seemingly clashing or mismatched wine with a certain type of food, but for a person to truly enjoy the food-and-wine experience, certain food and wine pairings must at least be tried once before deciding if you agree or disagree with it.

Here’s a simple food and wine pairing guide, featuring the best food and wine pairings that are tried and tested to help you get the best of your food and wine experience:

Beef, Lamb, Veal

· Roasted or grilled – Cabernet Sauvignon

· In garlic – Zinfandel

· Barbecued/in barbecue sauce – White Zinfandel

· With herbs – Merlot

· With mushrooms – Shiraz

Chicken, Turkey, Pork

· Baked or grilled – White Zinfandel

· Barbecued/in barbecue sauce – White Zinfandel

· In cream sauce – Chardonnay

· With lemons – Sauvignon Blanc

· With herbs – Chardonnay

Fish and Seafood

· Grilled – (darker fish) Pinot Noir, (lighter fish) Chardonnay

· With herbs – Sauvignon Blanc

· In butter – Chardonnay

· Hot and Spicy – Pinot Grigio

Pasta and Vegetables

· Tomato or Marinara sauce – Zinfandel

· Basil or Pesto – Merlot

· With Parmesan – Merlot

· In Cream Sauce – Pinot Noir

· Stir fried, with ginger – Chardonnay

· Hot and Spicy – White Zinfandel

In Clam Sauce - Chardonnay

Wine Talk: French and Australian Wines

Today we will talk about two types of regional wines: French wine and Australian wines. French wine, of course, has been known the world over for many, many years. Some even hold it up as the standard that all wines must aspire to be. Australian wines, on the other hand, have emerged to be one of the top wine producers among the crop of new wine producers in the world. Both have a reputation for excellence. I think it’s just about right that we learn a bit more about them.

French Wine

There is beauty in being what is considered to be the top wine producer in the world. They have been doing it for so long, so they really must know what they are doing. In fact, France is the source of many grape varieties that are now planted throughout the world, such as cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, and shiraz (also known as syrah). There continues to be great demand for French wine.

French wines are meant to accompany food, and it is said that they are made for that purpose. This could explain the constant popularity of French wine all over the world as it has the best ability to go with the food you pair it with, assuring a fantastic dining experience.

We all know that French wine is also regional, in that the grapes and wines are named after the region it is from, and only wines from that region can be called such (this is also why you can’t call just any sparkling wine “champagne;” it has to actually come from the Champagne region of France to be able to use that name). It’s one of the more endearing traits of French wine (at least to me), that there is a certain place where all they do is make and perfect a particular type of wine. I kind of envy people who live there because they can always be assured of a great bottle of wine. The people of these regions have also developed their own cuisine that complements the wine they produce, which is a great thing. They are also fiercely proud of their wines.

Australian Wine

Australia has grown to become the fourth-largest wine producer in the world, third only to old-world wine-producing countries such as France, Spain, and Italy. Australia is part of the “New World” wine producers that have come out in the last few decades, and usually old-world techniques with some new-world sensibilities, resulting in wines that are known for their depth of character.

Like the French, Australians also have wine regions, with the south Australian regions being responsible for more than half the production of Australian wines. Major wine varieties coming from the south Australian wine regions include cabernet sauvignon, Riesling, chardonnay, Semillon, and even some Shiraz.

Australia continues to hold to its position of being one of the top producers in the world, and the wine they keep putting out year after year does not disappoint. In fact, Australian wines are great starter wines for those who are new to wine drinking and appreciation as they are relatively inexpensive and widely available.

Wine 101 - Wine Glasses How to Choose The Right Wine Glass

Choosing Wine Glasses

When it comes to getting the type of glass you want to drink with your wine, you may want to consider a couple of things. The two things to remember when considering a wine tasting glass consist of the size of the glass and the shape of the glass.

The most common shape of wine glass is the chimney shape. Broader on the bottom of the bowl, it tapers upward to a smaller opening.  The reason a broader bottom is important is that it allows you a better way to swirl the wine.  This is important to make sure the wine is mixed properly.

Size Doesn’t Matter

The size of the glass is not that important as long as it’s large enough for you to smell the wine. Many people like the burgundy style wine glasses while others like the convenience of a smaller glass.

Factors that will enhance your tasting experience include glassware that is clear and free of cuts.

Many glass manufacturers have designed specific glasses for specific wine types.  These are specially made so they can be very expensive but may be worth it to certain people.

Cleaning Wine Glasses

Avoid soap when it comes to cleaning the glasses, instead use hot water and rinse thoroughly.  Soap can get easily get trapped in the glass and you may taste more of it than the wine.

You should try to find wine glasses that are easy to clean.

Wine 101-How To Buy Wine

Regardless, if you’re buying wine for just you or a huge party, you need to know the best way to make the right selection.

The choice is more personal that anything there are some great tips known as the three P’s: preference, price and pairing.

Price:

The price is always important when you are considering what type of wine to buy. You can get some great tasting wines at some relatively cheap prices these days, so you shouldn’t consider a cheaper wine to be a bad one.  You may want to talk to a wine dealer to get some advice.

Preferences:

The preference varies from one person to another, yet you need to consider what type of food you’ll be drinking the wine with as well as the people you’re with. Plenty of wines offer   their own distinct tastes, such as contents as vintage, so you need to decide which you prefer before you purchase.

For example, if you’re having a small get to together with a few friends you may want to try a lighter wine versus a heavier version.

A get way to get some good advice when it comes to different wines is to talk to experts.  They can really be a great source to turn to if you have any specific concerns about certain wines.

Pairing:

It’s very important to choose the right wine to go with the right food. You should take note of the contents of the food as to what you shall be using: fruits or spices; red or white meat; herbs-fresh/dried and their types.  This can greatly influence your choice of wine to use.

For instance, red wines pair well with heavy food better than white ones, which are more suitable for the lighter meals.  There really aren’t any rules you must stick to here as it’s all based on your preferences.

You are the judge of what you wine you want to drink with what food.  So, make the choice that suits you!

Wine 101-Wine Basics And Quick Start Guide

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you just need to know more about wine than you currently do?  Well, if so, you should keep reading as this article gives you some wine education.

1. Try to know more about wine before you start drinking it.  Take a wine tasting 101 class. If you can visit a winery because this is a great place to try some wine tasting.  It’s amazing what you can learn from the people that work there as we.

2. Be certain to order a bottle of wine because it’s much cheaper than getting by the glass if you’re with two or more people.

3. Have your waiter make a suggestion. If you like cabernets, ask if they can tell you of one that may be better than another.

4. Ask the person that you are with what type of wine they prefer.

5. Never buy the most expensive wine that’s available. These wines are usually very over priced and you can often get a better wine at a better bargain.

6. You should do some wine tasting at home as it’s the cheapest way to find a wine you like.  When you start buying wine in restaurants, it can get very pricey.

7. You can learn which food goes with which meals, wine boils down to finding the one you like the best. There really aren’t any rules when it comes to finding the best wine.

If you follow these tips, you should much more comfortable when it comes to ordering wine at a restaurant the next time you’re there with family or friends.

Wine 101-The Surprising History Of Wine Making

If you’re interested in learning about wine, then take a history lesson from Wine 101.

The making of wine began thousands of years ago in the northern zagros mountains of Iran.

Then it quickly spread though out the region and got picked up by the country we know today as Cyprus. From that point it began to move into the entire region of Europe and quickly became known in the western world also.

The Egyptians also loved wine and there is a myth that it was put in their coffins, so they could drink in the afterlife.

It’s possible to crush some grape you have laying around your house and make wine from them. That is because grapes have yeast. Yeast is bacteria that when combined with the compound sugar, it creates carbon dioxide and ethanol. Ethanol is just another word for alcohol.

You may wonder why even purchase alcohol and the reason is you can never be sure about the amount of yeast that is in grapes.

This is where cultured or man made yeast comes into play when talking about wine.  You have to be certain you have the correct amount to get the taste of alcohol you want.

A huge role in the making of wine is played by fermentation.  Did you know that for every gram of sugar that is converted by yeast, about half a gram of alcohol is produced? So, you have to have the correct combination to get the amount of alcohol you wish for.

If you would like to learn more about wine making, it’s entirely possible with the use of wine making kits that you can purchase and make wine at your home.  It’s even become a great way to compete in parts of the United States, with the use of wine completions.

Wine making at home isn’t popular in North America yet, the continent is still very popular for wine competitions. When people begin to learn how easy it is to make wine, it will begin to grow much faster. The second biggest place for making wine is Europe. However, the more people that learn about it the faster it will continue to grow all across the globe.

Wine 101-Discover The Complexities Of Flavors While Wine Tasting

If you are a wine lover, you know that when it comes to tasting it, it can be difficult. . If you need to describe a wine, then you should break it down in categories as to how it tastes to you.  Many of us have been out to dinner with others and may have totally disagreed with what they thought about the taste of the wine.

When you taste wine a good idea is to put in context with other flavors, such as sweet apples, or sour grapes.  This will help you define it better to others. You also make want to give it a grade of one to ten, and use that as a descriptor. For example, if the wine has a strong flavor, give it a ten.  If it has a weaker flavor, give it a one.

You may want to consider if the wine is dry or sweet.  This can be a great way to help you describe a wine to others after tasting it.

When you think of the body of the wine, consider this analogy, the different varieties of milk.  For example, you may have whole milk, two percent, and one percent milk.  All three of these have different variations and textures.  So, when you taste your wine is it light, medium or heavy in texture.  This is a good component to add to your tasting description.

You may also wan to consider the oak component of the wine. Does the wine have any oak or wood in the taste?  Generally, you do not want a wine that is at either major extreme because it will have a strong affect on the taste of the wine.

Tannins are the lifelines of the wine and come from the skins and stems of the grapes. They can have a strong affect and on taste, can often have a drying feeling. A lot of tannins can often mean that the wine is “shut down” or “too young” and is hard to get a sense of what is really there, as it is overpowered by the tannins. This is very important that you have just the right balance to have the best taste.

Complexity is the last component of the taste mix. How many flavors do you get when you drink the wine?  If you only get one or two, it’s not complex at all.  If you get five or six, then it’s certainly leaning towards being a much more complex wine.

When you utilize all these components in your wine tasting, you should be able to give a thorough description of the wine to anyone who is interested.

Wine 101- Shows You How To Become A Wine Expert!

As when many things in life, some people may claim to be an expert on a certain topic and they most likely aren’t.

The tasting of wine is much the same and unless you are a wine aficionado, you will have a very limited idea of exactly all that is involved when it comes to tasting wine. The majority of us just choose a wine we like and drink it. If you want o learn more about wine then you should keep reading as this is a wine 101 article.

In order to learn more about wines, you may want to consider visiting wineries and asking questions from their tour guides or also look for some information on the Internet to help educate you as well. The more you learn about wine, then the more experienced you’ll be when it comes to knowing what to taste for.

For example red wines have a different taste from white wines and you will need to taste both of these at regular intervals to be able to pinpoint many of the differences. By doing so you can get a better idea of what wine 101 can help you achieve.

Next in wine 101 is to taste some wine by pouring wine into a glass. Swirl the wine in the glass so that the wine and the substances in it meld. Then, you should hold the wine up to the light and see how long it takes for the leg of the wine to pour back into the bottom of the glass. The quality of the wine is based on this process.

The next step in wine 101 involves smelling the wine. Here you will need to first take a quick sniff. From this sniff you should be able to define what flavors are in the wine. Once you have decided what these flavors might be, you should swirl the wine again to make certain everything is mixed properly.

The final step in 101 is where you will take a small sip of the wine, hold it for a few minutes and try to make certain you savor all the flavors the wine has to offer. When these flavors are present in your mouth, you should have a good idea of what the wine tastes like and can describe it accordingly.

Wine 101-”Who Else Wants To Be A Wine Connoisseur?”

If you are interested in learning more about wine, then keep reading as this article can educate you on wine.

The correct way to start is by selecting a wine, and then being able to taste it much like a professional might. The way to do this is to know what to look for to do so properly.

This Wine 101 is for the up and coming connoisseur, a person who is looking to become a wine expert.

Don’t be intimated by all the choices because there are lots of wines out there. Yet, the is the case with most products. You should try to take some time to try different wines and pinpoint the ones you like the most. This trial period can be a learning test for you also.

For beginners, go buy some bottles of wine or visit a winery. Make your choices diversified by choosing different colors as well as throwing some international wines into the mix.

Eventually you will find the wine you like, whether red wine or white wine, a table wine or country wine. Martha Stewart recently introduced a large selection of wines through Gallo Winery. The important thing here is to find a wine you like.

Try the wine you’ve tested with different types of food. Light wines go better with foods like cheese and dark wines may taste better with meat. You be the judge after you’ve tried some wine and food combination’s.

You need more Wine 101 to help you be a better judge in the tasting process. There are five key points you need to know in tasting:

* Your sense of smell is crucial when it comes to wine tasting. You should first smell the cork to ensure there is no moldy or cardboard smell. If there is, then you know it was stored incorrectly.

* Smell the wine. The wine should always smell fruity as well as fresh.

* Look at the wine by holding it and checking to see if it is transparent. It should be clean, with no browning or yellowing color.

* Spin the wine in the glass. This should indicate different ties to the wine..

* Lastly, taste the wine. It should please to your taste buds with not moldy taste.
Now that you have the basics of Wine 101, you should be well on your way to becoming the wine tasting expert you wish to be.

Wine 101-Wine Tasting Tips For Beginners

There is a lot to know about wine. Wine tasting is a favored past time for many wine enthusiasts. You don’t have to be sophisticated to be a wine taster. In addition, it is easy to learn the basics about wine that will help you become a very good connoisseur.

Have you ever sat around with family members who seem to move a glass of wine around in front of you and you have no idea what they are doing? You don’t have to sit and wonder anymore. Learning the basics about wine will help you understand the different types of wines, how to assess a wine’s value (not based on the price), and more.

Hold a Wine Tasting Party…

Teach your friends about wine and how to properly taste wine. You don’t just drink the wine. There is a special way to taste wine to give a proper assessment and be able to score the wine the right way. You can learn how to score wine, what you are looking for in wine, and more.

Wine has been produced around the world for thousands of years…

Wine Tasting…

This guide will teach you how to hold the best wine tasting party around…

You can learn which people are the best guests to invite to your wine tasting party, how to prepare for it, and learn about how to properly taste wine. In addition, you will learn everything you need to know about the different types of wine tasting parties you can hold at your home…
Discover  :

1) How to Properly Assess a Wine by Looking at it

There is no reason to sit around and wonder what people are doing when they are swirling their wine glasses anymore. You can learn too.

2) Wine Tasting Parties

There are tons of ways to hold a wine tasting party. Discover the different ways to hold a party and the different methods for wine tasting.

Wouldn’t it feel great to impress your friends with your new found knowledge about wine?  Imagine showing your friends everything you know about wine by holding a wine tasting party.

Look, don’t kid yourself, knowledge like this could cost you hundreds of dollars in wine bottles learning about the different varieties and learning.

Wine tasting is a lot of fun when you have a party with your friends.

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