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Enjoy Your Wine
For more
information on how to better enjoy your wine experience, visit the Wine Vintage Chart
website. The vast and unfamiliar world of wine can certainly be a
scary thing. It's no fun to go to a place to eat and have no idea what
kind of wine to have with your meal. This is especially true if you are
with another person. You may actually be judged on what kind of decision
you make. It's cruel, but true.
Well, selecting the right wine does not have to be an incredible task.
You can make a decent choice most times, and eventually, you'll feel
confident doing so. The first thing you need to understand is, wine is a
personal experience. You do not have to go with everyone else on your
decision. Let me give you an example.
When you were young, you were probably told that there is a basic rule
for selecting wine with food. If you are having red meat, choose a red
wine. If you are having seafood or vegetarian, pick white. Poultry?
Perhaps a blush or pink wine. Well, those are excellent starting points,
but that's all they are. They are merely suggestions.
If you don't have experience choosing wine, next time you go out to eat
and you are confronted with the wine list, just question the waiter what
he or she would order with your meal. They are trained to give you
reasonable suggestions, so don't be afraid to go with what they tell
you. Believe it or not, they don't make it a habit of telling customers
something really crazy so they can go back to the kitchen and have a
great laugh about your decision with the chef. Well, maybe in some of
the snootier restaurants, but who wants to eat there anyway?
When you are feeling a bit more confident, ask the waiter to suggest two
wines that might go well with your food choice. Then, note the part of
the wine list he is picking them from and then select your own slightly
more expensive bottle. Give him a line something like "that sounds good,
but you know what? I've never been disappointed with this one" and then
try to pronounce the name of the wine correctly. Choose one you know you
can pronounce. The waiter will probably say something like "excellent
choice" and that's that.
Once the wine comes back and it's time to taste, don't bother with
smelling the cork. That's just a wee bit too snobby. Instead, just
visually inspect the cork and make sure it's not cracked or otherwise in
bad condition. That's a telltale sign that the wine has been stored
improperly, like standing up instead of on its side. If this is the
case, the wine may not taste as good as it should. But you still be the
judge. If the wine still tastes good, accept it. If not, send it back.
Don't be afraid to send wine back. They inflate the cost of wine about
5x from what you can buy it for in the store, so it's no big loss to
them. And they'll probably drink it or mix it into the house wine
anyway.
To get yourself feeling even more confident, go to your local Beverages
and More or similar store and purchase a few bottles each of white and
red wine. Pick some sweet and dry wines. They are usually marked in the
descriptions above each selection of wine. Stay in the $10 to $20 range
with these selections. Bring them home and try a different bottle each
night. See what you like. Drink with food and see what goes with what.
The key here is, it's really all up to you. What do you like to drink
with what food? That's the most important thing.
Next time you go to a restaurant, you'll feel much more confident in
your wine selection, and your dining partner won't feel like you're a
wine fool. But remember something: please don't become a wine snob!
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Last updated 20120517
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