Simple Wine and Food Guidelines

A special dinner or gathering usually involves serving wine. There are so many varieties of wine available today; it is difficult to know which wine to choose for most of us. The basic rule of thumb is to choose a wine that goes well with the food dish that will be served. Unless you are a wine connoisseur, you may be interested in some tips to help you the next time you find yourself trying to decide which wine to buy.

It is important to know the regions where wines come from. This is because wine from a specific region will usually go well with the type of food that region is known for as well. Thus, when picking a wine, if you know the region of its origin, you can know what types of food to serve. The most well known winemaking regions are the United States, France, Italy, Spain, Chile and Australia.

Fermenting grapes makes wine; therefore the type of grape used in making the wine is important. Each kind of grape adds it's own unique flavor to wine and certain flavors are more suitable than others for certain occasions.

Red Wines

Rich red wines are made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon wine goes best with rich and heavy foods. A milder red wine is the wine made from the Pinot Noir grapes. PinotNoir wines go well with salmon, swordfish, lamb and roast beef. Food that is simple, rich, and not too spicy is best suited when serving a Pinot Noir wine.

A light red wine favored by many is the Merlot, which is made with the Merlot grape. Merlot goes well with a variety of food as beef, lamb, pasta, and even heavier seafood dishes.

White Wines

Chardonnay grapes used in the Chardonnay wines produce a dry, somewhat apple-tasting wine. Poultry and fish dishes complement chardonnay. A crisp white wine is the Sauvignon Blanc, made with the grapes of the same name. The Sauvignon Blanc goes well with appetizers; vegetable dishes salads and fish dishes.

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