Random Tips To Help You Appreciate Wine At Dinner Party (17 items)

• (#10) Rose Is Best Enjoyed In The Summer

  From Redditor /u/DustyBoise:

  I'll never understand the disdain for rose... My best guess is when people think rose, they think white zinfandel and it's all downhill from there.

  But when the heat gets up there, [and] isn't a humid sweat bath, roses are perfect!
• (#8) Mayhill Is A Good Brand For Under $10

  Question from Redditor /u/nynedragons:

  What's the best bottle of the cheap stuff? 

  Answer from Redditor /u/DustyBoise:

  Maryhill Winemaker's Red is excellent. Really, anything Maryhill makes is all kinds of top-notch. I think it's still out there for around $10.
• (#12) The Bottle Shape Is Not An Indication Of Quality

  From a Redditor:

  [T]he bottle and label design have zero true indication of quality...

  [O]ften... bottles that are heavier and have a deeper punt are more expensive to make and transport, so you are less likely to see a winery put a cheap wine in such an expensive piece of glass.

  Of course, that brings us to the question: does expensive wine = better wine? And the answer to that is: not always, but sometimes. I had a $100-plus bottle of sauvignon blanc the other night that was horrible, and one of the most enjoyable wines I've had this month was $12.99.

  On the other hand, I got to taste a few Australian wines last week that were all $75-plus a bottle, and they were amazing and really worth the price, in my opinion... [T]he most expensive of those Aussies was actually packaged in a fairly lightweight, unimpressive green glass claret bottle with a small-to-medium punt.
• (#11) There Are Decent Starter Wines

  Question from Redditor /u/John1744:

  What would a good beginner wine or wine types to look out for, for someone who only extremely casually drank wine and found most of them to be way too bitter or odd tasting?

  Answer from Redditor /u/DustyBoise:

  I almost always recommend that people start out with a malbec from Argentina (ideally the region of Mendoza) or tempranillo from Spain (ideally from La Mancha). Both are pretty laid back and calm wines. Not very bitter and definitely not odd.

  I kind of want to recommend zinfandel too, since that one is a lot more about being lush and velvety.
• (#15) Wine Decanters Are Best Only For Red Wines That Need To Breathe

  From Redditor /u/vibouk:

  What is your opinion [of] wine decanters? Should we use them?

  From Redditor /u/DustyBosie:

  I think a decanter is useful for two occasions:

  1. You have a super huge red wine that needs to breathe or its going to ruin dinner.

  2. Decoration.

  Really, they're best used for huge cabernet or red blends, but are really only needed for wines that are meant to be aged or are naturally overtannic.
• (#17) When Storing Wine, Consider Air, Light, And Temperature

  Question from Redditor /u/ Jim105 :

  How do you recommend I store a bottle of wine after I open it?

  Answer from Redditor /u/ShirazAndShenanigans:

  [There] are a few things out there that want to ruin your wine: air, light, and changing temperature. So you'll want to minimize these things.

  First, air. You can purchase a wine pump, which will suck out air and seal the top nicely. They're quite affordable - I got one for $13. If this isn't an option, just ensure your cap or cork is immediately placed back on afterward.

  Light and temperature: avoid storing your wines in the kitchen, especially near the oven - this is probably the room that changes temperature the most in your house. I actually recommend the fridge - even for reds. I put a [cabernet franc] in the fridge a week ago, which still tasted pretty good last night! That said, I'd only recommend you keep it there for three to five days to be safe - you won't always get that lucky! And make sure it's stored upright.

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