Selecting The Right Wine
There are no set formulas for selecting the right wine for that special meal, event or person. In fact people have their own preferences when it come to wine. We have listed a few suggestions below to help you pick the right wine for the right moment or special meal. We hope it gives you some helpful insights to serving wines that should please any palate.
1. The Whites: When your guests first arrive and are enjoying the appetizers a white wine is always the perfect choice. They are commonly lighter and drier and leave the palate fresh for the main entree’. Some of the whites such as the Chardonnay can also be introduced during a rich dinner such as “Coq a Vin”, with its beautiful creamy wine sauce. Another suggestion is the Sauvignon Blanc that is excellent served with a first course salad or shrimp cocktail or even a plate of delicate fish.
The Cadillac of the whites would be a sparkling champagne. A good champagne would be served at only those very special events in one’s life.
2. Red Wines: A nice hearty red wine such as a Merlot or Burgundy would be perfect with an Italian meal or with grilled steak, pork or lamb. Serving a good red with a meal can actually help to enhance the dinner.
The Pinot Noir, while not as commonly served as a Merlot or Cabernet, is a unique blend of plum, vanilla and blackberry. Oregon produces Pinot Noir where the blackberries grow wild and are sweet and juicy. This wine will certainly be a hit.
The peppery flavor of the Shiraz would be a great accompaniment to spicy Mexican or Italian meal. This is another wine that would also go well with a meal of beef or pork.
A Chianti is a perfect choice for a hearty lasagna or spaghetti dinner. You do not have to spend a lot to get a good Chianti. Who can resist those cute little bottles wrapped in the basket weave?
If you are serving a tender rib roast, tenderloin steak, Chateaubriand, filet mignon, or tournedos of beef, a robust Burgundy would be just the ticket.
As you can see from the suggestions above you may wish to have both a white wine and a red wine on hand when hosting a dinner. Some guests will most likely pick the wine they prefer and stay with that choice for the entire evening. Another may choose a white for the start of the evening and finish with a red. So always be prepared.
You may enjoy making your own wine. You could start with one of the fruit wines. They are relatively easy to make and go great with desserts. Wouldn’t your guests be impressed. Visit a fruit wine making website for some recipes.
