Wine Selecting Tips - Basic Advice on Choosing a Wine at Dinner

Wine has played a kingly role in the history of the world.

People have drunk it in majestic rituals and it has lived in the palace cellars. It has survived through the medieval times and has been used by the priests to cleanse the body and cure devotees their common maladies. Whereas it used to be enjoyed only by kings and noblemen, today wine is ubiquitously consumed by people all over the world. A buffet or a fine dining experience will not go well without a Chardonnay, for instance. Most people drink wine to loosen themselves up, after a hard day's work. Others imbibe wine as a form of epicurean art.

A meal will always be more enjoyable if paired with a great tasting wine.

The complication arises, however, as soon as you peer into the wine list and begin to squint in confusion. Of the thousands of wine choices now available, which of them should you set on the dinner table along with your steak? Which should you drink to wash your tongue after a fruity dessert? The common dictum is to drink white wine with fish, chicken and other white meat, and to complement a rich lamb or veal dish with red wine. This idea is tried and tested and people have agreed that it works. But do you know not all types of red wine are for rich, red meat alone?

Red wine is indeed majesty of liquor.

Not only does it go well with almost all kinds of meal, it also plays an essential role in our health. The latest news is that red wine actually combats Alzheimer's disease by preventing the build-up of plaque in the brain. Red wine contains resveratrol (a natural compound) which scientists say fights the slow degeneration of the nervous system's components as it combines with other anti-oxidants. Pinot Noir, for instance, has been discovered to be chock full of resveratrol. It has been reported, too, that this red wine compound can also help battle other degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Huntington's disease.

Now let's go to the nitty-gritty.

Basically, there's a wine for every meal but the bottom line is to rely on your sense of taste. Different people have different palates and even the connoisseurs cannot agree on one rule when it comes to the perfect wine for a dish. However, the distinct characteristic of each wine should dictate which meal it should harmonize with.

For example, Cabernet Sauvignon being a varietal wine (which is a blend of one dominant grape and other less distinct flavors), Petit Sirah and Bordeaux can jibe well with red, heavy meat dish such as lamb, beef (most dish with spicy sauces) and other intense-flavored cheeses. Because of its full body and strong tannic taste, it can balance the feeling of greasiness in the cheese and the meat.

Sweet, sour, fruity, acidic, smooth sharp, crisp - Oh my.

You can recognize a particular wine's characteristic through its acidity, its body, the tannic content, its sweetness, its aroma as well as its overall balance. Chardonnay harmonizes with poultry and cheese. There are many variations of this white wine that can run from sweet and fruity to sour. It can even be paired with seafood such as oysters and can be served as aperitif. Chenin Blanc is also a white sparkling wine and goes well with fish and chicken. Most fish meals usually get paired with white wine but there are exceptions since fish dishes are prepared differently. The general rule is that wines that blend well with fish and other white meat contain high acidic flavor. The sharp, crisp hint of acid enhances the flavor of fish like a drop of tangerine juice would.

Pasta dishes & wine - An easy pair.

Wines that work well with pasta dishes are Merlot and Pinot Noir or Pinot Grigio. Pinot Noir makes a wonderful combination with steaks. It is a Burgundy wine that gets darker as it ages. It also matches well with fowl whereas Merlot is a good chocolate complement.

Advanced pairing, great combinations to enhance flavour.

Desserts are best paired with Rieslings, Port wines, or Madeira. Most oriental food and white meat dishes won't go wrong when matched with a Riesling. Spicy Mexican foods on the other hand are best eaten with Shiraz. Shiraz (also called Syrah) is a versatile wine; it complements many popular meat dishes such as chicken (tenderloin, rib or prime) as well as pork, beef and duck. If you like our regular fast food dishes like burgers and pizza or any meal with red spicy sauce Red Zinfandel is the perfect complement. A medium bodied wine such as Red Zinfandel will always taste better with red meat while White Zinfandel which is a newly-developed wine in the market goes in tune with pasta with light sauce, fish and most light dishes.

If you like ham and sausages a wine called Gewurztraminer will serve you well. This is also best for Asian foods and is known for its fruity flavor. Another wine that is in perfect harmony with pasta chicken and fish is the Sauvignon Blanc, more popularly called Fume Blanc. Most grilled dishes like fish and vegetables as well as exotic spicy foods go with Rose. Turkey served on Thanksgiving should be paired with a white burgundy wine called Chablis. If smoked salmon is served on the dinner table, it's best to enjoy sparkling wines.

Waiter, I'll have the ... how do you say it?

Apart from knowing which wine to drink along with your meal, it also essential to know a few important vintner's terms. If you're buying wine you must recognize whether it's brut, demi sec, sec or off-dry. These terms refer to the sweetness of the wine. Demi sec wines are a bit sweet and brut wines are not sweet at all. You will have a fair idea of the sweetness of it before actually opening its cork if you look at the label that's printed under the brand of the wine.

Because wine selection can be baffling, it is essential to understand some rudiments that you can use in your own dinner hosting or restaurant visits. If you have no idea at all as you gaze at the wine menu board which wine is what, ask your local chef or connoisseur. These people have fair enough experience when it comes to wine tasting, preparation and serving that you can bet they can give you what you are asking for. Once you have received some expertly advice, do the wine tasting yourself. Remember that one person's taste bud is different from another so you will have a notion of what really appeals to your taste.

The purpose of a good wine is to enhance, not bury.

A wine's purpose is not to overwhelm or overpower the dish served with it, but to complement, highlight or contrast its strengths and hints of flavor. For most people this requires a really fine and discerning taste bud. Some wines take time to mature and in this process their tastes change and either mellow out or grow more intense. You should be aware of this aging process of each wine. Some of these wines absorb the flavor of their storage barrels such as oak. Other wines can have complex taste through their color and smell. The rule is to sniff the wine for a good nose (a vintner's term used to denote the overall smell of a wine, including the aroma and the bouquet) and if you like the nose, it is highly likely that you will also adore its taste.

"Wine Connoisseur" is just a friendlier term for "English Major".

It is important to experiment with different wines. Connoisseurs may have a fairly good idea of what wine suits their taste, but you can't ask for a connoisseur's help each time you will prepare a meal with a wine. Experimenting helps you open up your wine vocabulary and expand your wine knowledge. It will give your taste buds a chance to explore the art of wine expertise. When trying out many different wine brands and learning each wine characteristic, make sure that you take note of each wine's uniqueness. In other words, a single wine tasting session does not make a wine taste consistent. The next time you taste red Bordeaux, for example, when paired with another dish, it will not be the same Bordeaux wine that you used to know. As you expand your tasting capabilities, you tend to forget a particular wine's characteristic too. That is why keeping an olfactory note of any wine is a must for anyone wishing to explore its complexity.

Your nose knows good wine, trust it.

Finally, trust your own taste when it comes to selecting wine either for aperitif, for dinner or for dessert. Do not be concerned about the "right" or the perfect wine. The key is to find which will complement and highlight the taste of your meal best. As you taste more wines and learn more, your confidence will grow. Don't shy away from new wines; instead give yourself the opportunity to be an expert yourself. Always exchange wine information with your local restaurateur/wine expert/wine merchant. Try new wines and mix them with various meals. You can break rules for as long as you as a host and your guests will enjoy your discovery. The point is, wine is an enjoyable meal complement and a dinner table's best friend. It should always stay that way.

Sean M. writes for several how-to, self-help related sites including those about his long time passion of drinking a little Pinot Noir and not looking foolish.

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All You Need to Know About "Old World" and "New World" Wine

The earliest New World winemakers in the 18th and 19th centuries generally followed the principles of the wine making techniques present in European countries at that time, with the intent of creating wines that strongly resembled those obtainable in Europe. However, their own climates and soils were totally different; often having to put up with sweltering temperatures never encountered in the Old World homeland. For example, settlers in California found the scorching heat was too much for the production of superior Wine grapes, until finally they realized the valleys of Napa as well as Sonoma could take advantage of the gaps within the Coastal range of mountains which sucked in cold air and fog from the ocean, providing the essential cooling element so necessary for top class wine.

New World wines are usually defined as "Wines produced in regions established by colonies of European exploration, which started with a number of the longer voyages in the 15th century."
Put simply, New World wines are all those developed in areas other than Europe and the Mediterranean countries.
It was during the 1960s, when traditions ended up being questioned, and boundaries were coming down, which gave New World Wine its chance for worldwide success. Brought about within the US by men such as Robert Mondavi and in Australia by Max Schubert of Penfolds, there came the desire to change and improve on the Old order. This arrived in combination with a complete rethink of how to explain and market the wines.

Initially, the New World were simply using well-known names from the Old World; "Australian Burgundy" and "Californian Chablis" became commonplace. International law quickly caught up with this particular practice, however, ruling that Burgundy or Chablis are only able to be made in Burgundy or Chablis. so even though the New World producer would use identical grapes and identical techniques to produce a top quality version of one of these famous wines, he could not use any name which the customer would recognise.

These producers soon came to the conclusion that it was the flavour belonging to the different grape varieties that was the single most important factor in their wines, and arrived at the solution of varietal labelling.They highlighted the grape variety on the label, their own name, and left it at that. This has changed the whole way we think about, speak about, choose - and most importantly - buy Wine. We now know the importance of the various grapes, as it is these varieties, as opposed to the place of origin, that is stressed on the label. We are all now used to ordering a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or a Rioja. No other idea has made the enjoyment of Wine so easily accessible to every one.

This accessibility has led to a willingness to experiment: to purchase and experience the type of wine we enjoy, no matter where it was made, New World or Old World. Now the Old World has recognized that it must move into this modern World so that it can compete and survive, and the naming of grapes on labels has become almost as popular in Europe as anywhere in the winemaking World.

The task for the newer producers is to produce wines which have the high quality of the originals from the Old World, that will have the staying power to keep them being purchased and enjoyed by wine lovers around the world. This really is all good news for us; it means that we have a larger choice of wines than ever before, from a wider variety of places. Additionally, it means that we have a opportunity to experience what some of the world's best wines have to offer - at a reasonable price.

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Best Winter Warmer Food and Wine?

The cold weather is the terrific reason for a bottle of red along with a hearty stew.

It is unusually cold up and down the region in addition to we're being forced to head home from work in boots to a chilly home, precisely what better way to warm up than with a casserole together with bottle of red?

The recent snowfall provided the perfect excuse to cook a Sunday roast at the weekend. The lamb could sit cooking in the oven until you came in from a stroll, taking the boots off and selecting the perfect accompaniment like an Argentinean Malbec or spicy Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cooking a roast is a little impractical during the week, but the weather continues to bite, so it could instead be a good idea to get a casserole or hearty stew going in the slow cooker so that it is ready to eat when you get in after work.

What's more, you can think about it cooking away all day as an added incentive to get home!

But with the winter food chosen, what is the best choice of wine to match? One of the best things about winter is having the excuse to open a bottle of full-bodied red wine with lots of tannin and warm you up from the inside.

Australian wine writers Debra and Keith Gordon suggested on their Wine on Tuesdays blog that a Chateauneuf de Pape is "made for winter", while a "musty Malbec" could also work well with a winter dish.

Other suggestions come from Lisa Redwine at the UT San Diego, who recommended a food and wine pairing of Californian Cabernet with braised short ribs, marinated lamb, nuts and fig jam. She also recommends searching out lesser-known varietals like Mourvedre for a pot roast dish, Petit Verdot or a Charbono.

However, there are still white wines that can be nicely paired with a winter warming supper. For Lisa Redwine, a rich and full-bodied Chardonnay can do the same job of a red wine, while providing an added freshness.

She pairs these wines with veal or rabbit stew as well as roast chicken and dumplings.

For another winter alternative, delving into the spirits cupboard could be a surprising match. A glass of port, for example, could add cosiness to a bowl of stew.

You could also try some Canadian icewine for something really different. While it might not really match your dinner, a glass of grapes that have been naturally frozen on the vine could be a fun aperitif to get the evening started. http://ezinearticles.com/?Best-Winter-Warmer-Food-and-Wine?&id=7824749

UK Wine Industry, Famous Wineries and Popular Brands

"Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used - Shakespeare"

Food and wine is often cast as a rather mysterious and unique division of science, but it really is not as mysterious as it seems to be. Wine in the UK can be dated back to Roman times. There were numbers of vineyards in England by the time of the Norman Conquest, most of them attached to monasteries and great houses. The areas of concentration were the coastal areas of the southeast, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

The first commercial vineyard in modern times was established at Hambledon in Hampshire in 1951 but significant development in the UK wine industry has been in not much more than the last 30 years.

Climate for wine agriculture The Wine Industry is based on the farming of grapes. According to the geographical conditions, the UK is not suitable for commercial grape production, being too far north. Most of the successful vineyards in the UK are southern England and Wales where, in some parts of southern England, the subsoil is chalk or limestone and has similar geology to that of the Champagne region in France.

The main grape varieties planted in the UK are Reichensteiner, Bacchus, and Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Muller Thurgau and Sylva Blanc; very few of which are names that the average British wine drinker would be familiar with.

British Wine: English and Welsh wine must be produced from fresh grapes grown in the UK, whereas British wine is a form of 'made wine' which can be manufactured in the UK and Ireland from imported grapes, grape juice, grape must or a combination of these. Although 'made wine' products can be called 'wine' they must be prefixed with a term such as British, Mead, Fruit, Tonic etc. These products are not governed by the EU Wine Regime.

With all difficulties of climate and latitude, there are more than 250 commercial vineyards in the UK ranging in size from a few square metres run by small-scale hobbyists to large wineries run by commercially astute wine producers.

Best English Wines:

1. Nyetimber: widely regarded as one of the best English wineries.
2. Curious Grape: Brand name of the UK's largest (and probably best) producer, New Wave Wines
3. Three Choirs: Sizeable operation in the Midlands making some well priced and tasty wines.
4. Davenport: The UK's leading organic producer, making fresh, bright, full-flavoured whites.
5. Denbies: In Surrey's North Downs, this is the largest producer with some interesting wines.

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What Makes the Best Wine?

It may be a fascinating and thought provoking question, but does it have a good answer? In many cases choosing a good wine depends on personal taste. Some people like dry wine while others like it sweet. Then there are fruit wines and those that we all know the names of - Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon for example. But are there any common ingredients or methods that go to make up the best wine of the lot?

Is it to do with where the grapes come from?

You may think this is the case, but it isn't true. A world class wine is one that will sell for several hundred dollars a bottle. But the grapes that produce it could be just yards away from others that go into a much cheaper bottle most people would easily be able to afford. It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the person who grows the grapes either. Some wines seem to naturally come to the fore while others languish far behind.

Is it a sense of personal taste then?

While experts have tried to find common ingredients in the best wine, they have yet to come up with anything definitive. The key ingredient here seems to be commonality in terms of how many people like a particular wine. There is no doubt that some are more palatable than others, but by the same token even the most unpalatable wines will be enjoyed by some!

The key rule to remember is this - if you like a particular wine then it is a good one, for you at least. It doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks. The only downside of course is if you happen to have expensive tastes! What about the methods used to drink wine?

Here we are referring to the ways that wine is poured from the bottle. It can be poured directly into a glass and quaffed down immediately, but this would be doing any type of wine an injustice. If you picked up a six year old bottle that had been corked up for so long, it would be prudent to let it breathe in order to enjoy it at its best. In fact this applies to every bottle of wine you ever uncork. If you don't stick by this rule you will never taste the best wine, purely because it has not had a chance to come into contact with the air.

In this sense you can get the best out of any bottle of wine you buy - red, white or rose - simply by pouring it out in the right way. If you invest in a wine aerator you can automatically aerate the wine as soon as it comes out of the bottle and into the glass. This will provide you with the best possible taste and sensations from every drop, even if you have only spent a few dollars on that particular bottle. As you can see, it's not just the winery it comes from that goes into making the best wine. http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Makes-the-Best-Wine?&id=5873681

Grapes That Make the Best Wine

The wine making process can make wine out of any fruit that contains residual sugar after harvesting. I can guarantee that many of these wines will have some alcohol in them, but most will not be very tasty since they are usually sweet and poorly balanced. The grape has emerged as the champion wine making fruit over the years because it contains the highest sugar of most other fruits and yields about 11 percent alcohol. The tartaric acid and tannins found exclusively in grapes is responsible for its unique tastes. There probably is also a little snob appeal since grapes have royal origins, and fruit wines are more associated with home brews during prohibition.

The variety of grape is the most important factor in your wine's style and taste. Of course red grapes make red wine and white grapes make white wine, but many other factors such as levels of sugar, acidity, and tannins make a huge difference in taste. The varieties discussed below have proven over the years to make the best wine and are the most popular. Any new research in developing new vines looks at tweaking these varieties to be more disease resistant, more productive, and to grow in colder climates. Most of these wines originated in Europe, but now are planted around the world in temperate climates.

Top White Wines

• The Chardonnay grape variety is a classic white wine grape grown all around the world. Origins are in the Burgundy and Champagne regions of France. It makes a full bodied, complex wine that is often aged in oak.
• The Sauvignon Blanc grape from Loire and Bordeaux can be grown in warmer regions and are higher in acid that most whites. It is often identified by its grassy flavor, and is often called Fume Blanc.
• The Pinot Blanc grape is used to produce light, dry, pleasant white wines. It originated in Alsace region of France.
• The Pinot Gris grape variety is known as Pinot Grigio in Italy and Rulander in Germany. In general it produces wines of average quality except in Alsace and Tuscany.
• Riesling makes wines from very dry to very sweet but are usually made in semi-dry styles that accent the fruity flavors. They are originally form the Moselle and Rhine valleys of Germany as and the Alsace region of France.
• Gewurztraminer originated in Germany and Alsace and is known for its floral fragrance and spicy flavor. It grows well in cool climates..
• The Viognier grape from the Rhone valley is becoming more popular as more is planted in California. It makes wines of medium body with a fruity flavor..
• Chenin Blanc is a white grape from the Loire Valley (Vouvray). It makes white wines that are fragrant and high in acid, and is often used as a base for jug wine.
• The Muscat family makes wines that are generally sweet and very floral. It is known as Moscato in Italy and Moscatel in Spain and also is often used for sparkling wines.

Top Red Wines

• The premier red wine grape is Cabernet Sauvignon and is the dominant grape in the Bordeaux region of France. The Cabernet Sauvignon grape produces distinctive wines that are tannic and full bodied. They are always barreled in oak and may age for up to 10 years in the bottle..
• The Merlot grape is very similar to Cabernet Sauvignon but makes a wine lower in tannins that matures faster and is softer in texture. Merlot is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to make the famous "Bordeaux Blend" which is know as Meritage in the US.
• Pinot Noir is the top wine in the Burgundy region of France. It is also a major grape in most fine quality Champagne and sparkling wines. It low in tannin and relatively high in acid and produces a medium body wine with exceptional flavor.
• Known as Syrah in France and Shiraz in Australia, this grape originated in Persia. It produces full bodied wines of intense color and flavor.
• Zinfandel's origin is unknown and it is grown almost exclusively in California. It probably arrived in the US from Italy or Croatia. This grape makes solid red wines with good fruit and structure. It was popular with home winemakers during prohibition and were the only vines that survived those "dark ages".
• Sangiovese is the primary grape grown in Italy's Tuscany and is used to make Chianti. Sangiovese wines are spicy, have a smooth texture, medium body and good acid levels,.
• Barbera is a red wine grape grown mostly in Italy. It has some of the flavor characteristics you would find in Cabernet Sauvignon but with higher acid levels
• Cabernet Franc is a grape most often used in Bordeaux blends to add acidity and aroma. It is lighter and fruitier than Cabernet Sauvignon and was first planted in the Loire region of France.
• Carignane grapes are widely planted throughout the world. They originated in Spain and grow well in Mediterranean climates. Wines are full bodied with strong fruit and tannin characteristics.
• The Gamay grape started in the Beaujolais region of France. These wines are light, low in alcohol, high in acidity and very fruity. They should not be aged very long
• Grenache grapes are a sweet grape that started in the Rhone valley. It is one of the most popular because its wines are fruity, full in flavor, and have overtones of spice. It is often the base for jug wines. http://ezinearticles.com/?Grapes-That-Make-the-Best-Wine&id=2042383