subject: Tips And Guidelines For Choosing Wine [print this page] Feeling overwhelmed while standing in front of the rows of wine bottles in the supermarket is a familiar sensation for many people. The huge amount of choice on offer can be completely baffling. What makes one wine better than another and how can you tell just by looking at them? Which wine will go best with the meal Im cooking this weekend? Unfortunately there is no simple answer to how to pick a good wine. Wines are mysterious, you cannot tell what they taste like and whether they are any good until you try them. Even wine connoisseurs can choose a bad wine. This air of mystery can make the wine aisle in your local supermarket feel even more perplexing especially if you are fairly new to choosing wines. Though there are no rules set in stone about what will make a bottle of wine good, there are several guidelines you can follow to increase your chances of buying a good wine and one that is right for your needs.
A general rule in wines is that strong foods go well with strong wines, while lighter wines go well with lighter or more delicate-tasting foods. Red wines are usually stronger tasting and white wines are lighter although as with most generalisations, especially in wine, there are exceptions. In simple terms red wine goes well with meats such as beef or lamb and white wine tends to be better suited to fish or fowl such as chicken. This is the first thing you will need to consider if you are looking for a wine to go with a meal at a dinner party and it is the closest thing to a set rule for wine. An offshoot of this is the guideline that dry ross work best with similarly coloured foods, such as salmon and prawns. In a similar way, red and white wines both complement different types of cheeses. Hard cheeses and blue cheeses fit well with red wines while creamier soft cheeses like brie and camembert work well with whites.
It is often found that food from a particular region will often go well with the local wines, for example, pasta dishes generally go well with Italian red wine. Think about what you are cooking and whether it is a style from a particular area. Also consider the guidelines of contrast and complement. You can either go for a wine that contrasts with the food (yet still complements it) or one that has similar characteristics to the food. Spicy foods go well with soft and fruity wines from Chile or Australia, while desserts can be complemented by the sweetness of sweet Californian ross. A Sauvignon Blanc will contrast well with oriental and Thai food while Riojas are a good bet if you are having lamb.
Dont worry too much about the numbers. There is the commonly held belief that the more expensive a wine the better it is, but this is not always the case. You can find good wines for between 7 and 10, you dont have to spend a fortune. Make sure to think about the duty tax on wine with very cheap wines very little will have been spent on the wine itself as most of the price will be the duty tax. Equally if a wine is cheap but has a fancy label it can be an indicator that money was spent on the design and the duty tax over the grapes and process.
The numbers can also refer to the vintage and the alcohol content. Try to avoid wines with too much alcohol as they can be unbalanced, look for something with no more than 12% alcohol. Though vintages are important, dont get too bogged down by them. Many wines in supermarkets are meant to be drunk straight away. Reds usually improve with age but whites and ross should only be a couple of years old at the most. This is down to the tannins found in red wine that are a natural preservative. Initially the tannins may make a red wine taste bitter but as the wine ages the tannins dissipate to give the wine a smoother taste and aroma.
There are a few other things to look out for when trying to decide on wine to buy. Medals and wine awards on labels are usually a good indicator of the quality of wine but there are many good wines that are overlooked in the achievement-giving so dont be put off if a wine you fancy doesnt have any accolades. Stay away from big or novelty size bottles it is hugely unlikely the wine is going to be good. Finally, have a go at looking beyond what the supermarket wants to sell in large quantities. Look at the high and low shelves, not just at eye line as this is where the wine they really want to shift will be put. Similarly dont just go for a wine with a name you know. If you spot one that is within the pricing you are looking at but that has an unknown name, give it a go. These wines can be better as they do not have a well-known name to rely upon and have to back themselves up with quality.
