Wine and Food Tasting Tip

Here is a tasting tip from a long time friend and wine connoisseur. Set out a variety of foods to try with your wine(s), i.e. salami, cheese, seafood, cake, chocolate, pickles, etc. First, take a sip of the wine and taste as above. Then take another sip along with a bite of food and chew. You'll find that some foods go with the wine and some don't. Ideally, the wine and food together should form a 'sauce' that is delightful and better tasting than either the wine or the food alone. This is the mark of a successful pairing.

Confused? Wine tasting is harder to describe than it is to do. We suggest just tasting as many different wines as possible. Taste, experience, remember, and above all, enjoy!

Cheers!

10 Tips for Buying Wine

Recently, I came across an article that talks about tips for buying good wine. Here is an abstract of what I got.

1. Don't be afraid to ask for help when making a wine selection. There are many professionals that are eager to help.
2. Pay attention to the wine's appellation, the area where the wine was grown. Better wines come from better vineyards. You may have to pay more, but it is worth it.
3. Test something new. We all have favorites, but the glory of drinking wine is finding new and exciting ones to experience.
4. Pay attention to vintage, the wine's "born on date." Most wineries are making wines that can and should be experienced fresh. Many of these are very good and inexpensive. Don't worry about storing them; drink them.
5. Do not store wines in the refrigerator. Cold refrigeration can have a negative impact on wines. Put your white wines in an ice bucket 30 minutes prior to service.
6. At a restaurant; smelling the cork is not necessary, unless you like the smell of cork. The cork smell will tell you nothing about how the wine will taste. The cork will either be wet or dry,which helps determine if the wine was properly stored.
7. Do smell the wine, which should smell pleasant, fresh and not have any "off" aromas. It should smell alive, like fresh fruit, fresh flowers or fresh spice. If the wine smells stale (like wet cardboard), it is probably not suitable for drinking.
8. Do not let a waiter pour a full glass of wine, please! Small pours of wine can be swirled, allowing the wine to breathe and open up. Also, wine should be drunk in sips and enjoyed a little at a time. Ask the waiter to let you pour your own wine.
9. Except for Champagne, do not chill a cold wine in an ice bucket. "Cellar" temperature (about 55 F) is ideal for tasting a wine's true flavors.
10. When you go to a restaurant, realize that you are paying for a service. In the cost of doing business, it is necessary and standard to markup wine 2 - 3 times the price you will see in a retail store, just like a steak or soft drink.

Well, the tips are pretty useful, isn't it. Cheers...