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

• (#1) Pair With The Sauce Rather Than The Meat

  From Redditor /u/connie_con_con:

  Many wine experts suggest pairing with the sauce instead of the meat.

  Because cod is so delicate, this is probably the best route. Maybe a rose would give... the best of both worlds.
• (#2) Define Your Sparkle

  From Redditor /u/DixieLiquor:

  In Italian, the "full sparkly" is called "spumate," and the "kind of sparkly" is called "frizzante." That should help somewhat with checking a label.

  You can also look at the cork - spumate wines will have a muselet cork; frizzante wines usually have a regular cork, twist-off, or crown cap.
• (#3) How To Pick Wine For A Holiday Party

  Question from Redditor /u/ tontovila :

  If someone says "bring a bottle of wine" for Christmas or Thanksgiving, how do I pick one? I don't drink wine...

  Answer from Redditor /u/DustyBosie:

  Thanksgiving wine I'd say is up there with one of the most difficult pairings to make, primarily because it's a table full of competing flavors. You have the turkey (and who knows how it's been prepared), mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, freaking cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, parsnips, and those are all big bold flavors...

  Your best bet for Thanksgiving... would be something elegent and laid back. A Willamette or Loire pinot noir would be pretty ideal... [S]omething that will... not try to [compete with] the food for attention.

  [For] Christmas though, Zinfandel! Find a big... bottle of velvety, f*ck-the-snow zinfandel, save it for dessert in front of the fire, and tell every embarrassing family story you can think of.
• (#4) Rich Whites Are A Good Supplement For Reds To Avoid Headaches

  Question from Redditor /u/QueenOfBaking7081:

  I get migraines from red wine. What type of white wine goes with foods normally served with red?

  Answer from Redditor /u/DustyBosie:

  A wine that's aged in oak would be a really good place to experiment. A rich chardonnay from California or a marsanne-roussanne blend from France would fit that.

  Also, a lot of whites from South America (like torrontes) would work since a lot of the fruit flavors tend to be fairly bold and long-lasting on the palate.
• (#5) Portugal Wines Are Often Underappreciated And Therefore Underpriced

  Question from a former Redditor:

  What region consistently has underpriced wines?

  Answer from Redditor /u/DustyBosie:

  Portugal is always my go-to for this. I still can't believe how affordable their wines can be.

  It might be different in your area, but I feel like I can always find a bottle of nonsensically good Dao for $10 to $15. And vinho verde in the summer is the freaking best.
• (#6) Let Your Own Tastebuds Tell You What's Good

  From Redditor /u/DustyBoise:

  [T]aste is exceptionally subjective. Wine is a lot like music. I could tell you that I Am the Movie by Motion City Soundtrack is an amazing album, but if you don't like high-energy stuff with tons of synthesizers talking about mental struggles, then that recommendation doesn't mean anything to you.

  When a wine expert says an ultratannic cabernet from Napa is world-class or 100 points, they're using their own palate as the benchmark for that rating. But that doesn't mean you're wrong for completely disagreeing with them.

  I personally don't read any wine reviews. I'd much rather taste a wine for myself and know I like it for my own reasons. And when people tell me what they like and why they like it, it makes those wines the best wines in the world for them...

  Also, taste buds change as you grow older, [which] causes our palate to change along with them.
• (#7) You Don't Have To Be Rich To Learn About And Enjoy Wine

  Question from Redditor /u/Twice_Knightley:

  What, in your opinion is the biggest misconception the average person has about the wine industry?

  Answer from Redditor /u/DustyBoise:

  That only the wealthy can ever have the opportunity to drink good wine or to learn about wine.

  It's a genuine bummer, but the archetype is pretty strong... But the weird part, a lot of people in that income bracket probably know the least about wine. In my experience, the majority of them know their brand, stick with it, and have no interest in even attempting anything new.

  The cool thing about wine is that its always been meant for everyone, and really anyone can learn about wine.
• (#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.
• (#9) Sake And Honey Wine Are Good Supplements For Non-Wine Drinkers

  Question from Redditor /u/Clamlon:

  If I can't drink wine, what other "light" alcoholic drink except beer would you recommend?

  Answer from Redditor /u/DustyBosie:

  Hmm, if we're defining light as in "under 20% alcohol," there's always the beautiful wonder that is mead. The Vikings drank a lot of honey wine... It can be very syrupy, but some can also be really well balanced.

  I'm also very fond of plum wine and various other fruit-based wines. That really only works if you just can't have grapes. Not so much if you can't have fruit.

  Aside from all of that, I'd look into sake. There's a lot of bad sake out there, and I know my first experience with it was somewhere between god-awful and I just drank a bottle of peroxide. But quite a lot of it can also be elegant, smooth, and so easy to drink. The hard part is finding someone who really knows their sake.
• (#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!
• (#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.
• (#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.
• (#13) White Wine Is Best Had Within Three Days Of Opening It

  Question from Redditor /u/NotaSpyatall:

  How long does white wine last after you have opened it?

  Answer from Redditor /u/DustyBosie:

  Usually about two days. It can maybe go three, but just depends how picky you are.
• (#14) Some Foods Are Hard To Pair With, But Not Impossible

  From Redditor /u/TheLadyEve:

  • Asparagus pairs with gruner veltliner.

  • Artichoke pairs well with dry sauvignon blanc. Actually, so do green beans.

  • With sprouts a lot of it depends on the flavor profile. If it's just plain, pure sprouts then go with a dry riesling or gruner veltliner. If they have rich accompaniments like bacon or chorizo, try an Amarone...

  • Chocolate (either milk or dark) goes perfectly with tawny port. Madeira is also a good pairing for different chocolates. Dark chocolate also pairs well with late harvest zinfandel.

  So don't be afraid of enjoying these foods with wine!
• (#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.
• (#16) Wine Tasting Has Four Parts

  From Redditor /u/DustyBoise:

  [There are] four things to hit when tasting a wine: see, smell, sip, savor.

  See is pretty straightforward (red or white, dark or light). Smell involves swirling the glass and smelling the wine. You try to pinpoint any smells you recognize (which is highly subjective from person to person) and will help you taste the wine. Sip, you take a small taste and see what you notice up front. Savor, a bigger sip and see what it does to the rest of your palate.

  If you're at a large tasting, then you spit. If it's smaller or a party or you know everyone there, then swallow.
• (#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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