The simplicity of enjoying wine starts with a foundation of knowledge. That foundation begins when you seek out an education. Your wine education can begin today by reading this article in full and gathering the advice within for your own use. This will lead to many years of great enjoyment.
A lot of wines have foreign names. It is best to familiarize yourself with the pronunciation of these names before you talk with experts about your wine tasting experiences. A wine expert will quickly label you as a novice if you are not familiar with the correct pronunciation of certain names.
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.
Use different glasses for red and white wine. A narrow glass is perfect for whites, keeping warm air away from the drink. Red wines are meant for the wider glasses. The wider opening allows more air into contact with the wine, warming it and waking up the flavors.
Always pursue variety in your wine buying. Tasting new wines is a great way to educate yourself about different regions of the world and the wines they produce. Check the cards on the shelves, ask a seller for recommendations or pick a wine at random. You may be surprised to discover a new favorite.
Swirling is part of tasting wine. Make the circular motion necessary from your elbow rather than your wrist. Doing so will enable you to smell the wine, enhancing the flavor of it as well. Making the motion just using the wrist is difficult and often will not have the desired effect.
You can easily make a mulled wine with only a few ingredients. You will need a bottle of red wine such as Merlot, Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon, a peeled and sliced orange, a quality brandy, honey or sugar and a few spices including whole cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Combine your ingredients into a slow cooker. Then, heat for 30 minutes and enjoy!
Pay attention to the advice of wine experts, but you can disregard some of what they say. The best wine experts also listen to other people’s opinions. Also, their personal preferences aren’t likely to be the same as your own. Keep your own enjoyment in mind over the advice of another.
Have some fun with wines by trying different countries and years. You’ll likely do a lot of analyzing with your wine, ranging from its taste to which mixes best with your meal. Have fun with combining flavors and trying new wines regularly.
Color is not the deciding factor when it comes to lightness and heaviness of wine. The level of alcohol in the wine is not specific to its color (white or red). However, whites tend to have a smoother quality, making them easier to drink. Try Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc for your table since they’re the lightest options.
If you want to visit a winery, you should know that the wine you buy and bring home will not taste like the wine you tried at the winery. The wine offered to visitors is often never put into bottles and the wine you buy will change during your trip home.
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.
Searching for glasses for your wine? The best kind of glass is one that is 20 ounces or more, has a long stem and inward curve at the top, and is no more than $15. These statistics have been thoroughly researched as the best for a wine glass. You should never spend a lot of money on a glass because glass is easily breakable.
One of the best ways to find wines that you enjoy is to attend wine tastings. Try to attend as many different tastings as you possibly can. You can really learn about wines at these tastings. Make sure you spit out any wine you taste. Otherwise, you may over-imbibe.
When purchasing wine at a winery, use caution when buying in bulk. It is all to easy to find the perfect wine and decide to buy a case or two, to take home. If you do not have the proper storage space or facility available, be prudent in your purchase. You do not want to end up with a couple of cases of turned wine.
A good tip that will help you save money on wine when eating out is to not be afraid of ordering the cheapest wine on the menu. A lot of people will avoid getting the cheapest wine to avoid looking bad, but restaurants know this and will exploit you for it.
When you are hunting for a magical bottle of the perfect wine, keep in mind the occasion you are serving and the food that will accompany it. There are different bottles that work well with some foods while others won’t agree. Your wine selection should be food-friendly to guarantee maximum enjoyment.
With all of this advice under your belt, you’re sure to know more about wine now. This will allow you to be a better sommelier in your own home, at a friend’s house or elsewhere. This will lead to many more delicate glasses of wine gracing your lips and a great deal of enjoyment ensuing.
