The Relationship Of Wine And Food

The relationship between wine and food goes back a long way and there are long standing traditions governing the pairing of certain wines with certain foods. This proper combination of the appropriate wine with a delicious meal results in an enjoyable experience by all who are participating in the event. By choosing the correct wine the taste of the meal can be enhanced greatly and the same is true of the correct dish being served along with the wine. It is not necessary to spend lavish amounts of money at some exclusive restaurant to achieve satisfaction; you can have the experience in your own home.

The rules for pairing certain wines with certain foods goes back to the 1800s when French chefs were traveling throughout Europe and sharing their opinions on what wine should be drank with a certain meal. This is where the basis for serving white wines with seafood comes from and that of serving red wines with red meat and wild game. Sometimes in modern times these rules have been bent or broken due to more availability of a greater variety of wines.

Wine

The key to the proper harmony of wine with a meal is to always take care that the wine and the meal compliment one another and not compete with each other, for example serving a premium wine with a more average meal instead of trying to combine the best wine and the best meal all at the same time. Another key point is to serve regional wines with their equivalent local dishes, for example certain Spanish dishes are best served with a Spanish wine from the region the food originates from.

To help you make the right choices in matching the appropriate wine to a meal bear these things in mind:

Always consider the richness of both and choose a heavier full bodied red wine in most cases for a rich red meat or wild game meal. There are some white wines that could be appropriate as a matter of personal taste.

Never serve a dry wine with dessert, always choose a wine that is at least as sweet as the confectionary delight being served.

Wines that are higher in tannins should served with high protein meals which mix with the tannins and lessen the tannin taste. If you attempt to serve a high tannin wine with fish or other seafood they will sometimes give an unpleasant metallic taste or even taste bitter with salty dishes.

So keep the old rules in mind when making your choices but also remember that they can be bent a little in consideration of an exceptional wine or rare meal.

The Relationship Of Wine And Food

Gregg Hall is a consultant for online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida. Find out about personalized wine bottles [http://www.winebottlespersonalized.com] at [http://www.winebottlespersonalized.com]

Sonoma County White Wine

Californian wine has slowly but surely built a reputation for quality. These fine wines are the result of years of development and passion and of course the natural geographical conditions. The soil, climate and landscape have created a big variety of wine types. Variety is what kept wine makers interested and wine drinkers amused.

The County of Sonoma is one of the many wine regions of California. The different wine types are produced in 13 different AVA's. The number of viticultural areas is remarkable and further adds to the diversity. In Sonoma we find both cool climate grapes and warm climate grapes, both red and white wine types.

Wine

More than 70% of Sonoma's agricultural production is growing wine grapes, totaling in an acreage of over 60,000 acres of vineyards. Amongst the most common grapes planted are Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. Out of these, the Chardonnay is the most sought after wine. Let's take a look at some of Sonoma's white wines.

Chardonnay

The Chardonnay grape is the leading white varietal planted. We find it in the areas of Alexander Valley, Chalk Hill and Russian River Valley. This type of grape usually prefers cool conditions, but it does allow for slightly warmer ones too.

The warmer climate of Alexander Valley make the Chardonnay wine types more approachable young, offering a rich aroma, and a creamy feel. The wines developed from grapes grown in cooler climates are more complex. The scents of green apple and pear are the most common. These wines are semi-sweet, fruity delights.

Although Chardonnays are excellent by themselves they are best served with food. It goes great with appetizers such as gouda and hazelnuts. For an oceanic feel you can pair it with grilled fish fillets. If you really want to feel the richness of the Sonoma Chardonnay, pasta and chicken are ideal.

Gewurztraminer

Bearing it's roots in Germany, this white variety is grown in regions such as Alexander Valley and Russian River. It is a firm wine that will dominate your palate. The prime characteristic is its spiciness, or more appropriate, its perfume.

Like the Chardonnay, it is also influenced by warmth. The grape prefers cooler regions, like the Russian River but it is also grown in Alexander Valley, a warmer place. It is a tart wine type, that bears a distinct dryness and spiciness.

Because it has sweet notes such as those of honey and pear it can be enjoyed as a dessert wine or paired with fresh fruits. Foods that pair well with this wine type are grilled chicken, scallops and for a more exotic feel you can serve it with grab.

Riesling

Another grape originating from Germany, the Riesling makes for a fruity, acidic wine type. The prime feature of this grape is its capability to retain the natural flavors of the fruit. The interference of other elements such as yeast is minimal in the final taste.

The Riesling grape is very specific about the climate. It is grown in cold climate regions. Actually, the cooler the climate, the better. Cold climates make for crisp wine types that retain the fruit flavors better. Acidity is also better retained thanks to the cold weather.

It is a dry wine type and so it is best paired with spicy foods such as Mexican foods. There are also sweet varieties of this wine. The sweeter Rieslings go great with soft cheeses. Or you can just serve it as a dessert wine, in which case melons and apricots would be the best choice.

Sonoma County offers us a large variety of wine types, much larger than this list. The fact is that the many different microclimates of this region mean that no two wines are alike. We saw that some grapes prefer cold regions and others warm regions. It is all about the taste a wine maker pursues.

Sonoma County White Wine

White wines will always be all about the aromas and bouquets. To find out more about California wine types such as white and red wines check my blog at Let's Talk Wine. White wines are more delicate wines, that are best left to age for a few years in order to fully mature.

Wine Recipe - How to Make Mulled Wine

Nothing beats a nice mulled wine during an autumn or winter's evening. Mulled wine, in most cases, is usually red wine combined with a variety of spices and served warm. It is very easy to make, and perfect for dinner parties, holiday parties as well as a nice evening "nightcap".

There are a variety of mulled wine recipes. Gluhwein, popular in German-speaking countries, combines red wine, slowly heated and mixed with cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods, cloves, citrus (usually orange), and sugar. When served, garnishing it with the cinnamon stick ads a nice touch, and allows you to stir your wine so it's functional as well as flavorful.

Wine

A traditional recipe for mulled wine is very simple. For every pine of wine you wish to mull, add in 1 cupful of water and then sugar & spice to taste. Boil the spice in the water until the flavor is extracted. Add the wine & sugar. Bring the entire mixture to boiling-point. Pour & serve.

Spices that are typical for this type of wine include cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, or mace. You can mull almost any kind of wine, but port and claret are the most popular. It's important that the pot or vessel that you use for mulling be carefully cleaned and kept only for mulling purposes as any other use can spoil the flavor of the wine itself.

There are tons of recipes online for mulled wine, and even non-alcoholic mulled beverages as well, for those who do not consume alcohol. No matter which recipe you choose, you'll be bound for a tasty beverage to keep you warm and cozy during the forthcoming colder months.

Wine Recipe - How to Make Mulled Wine

As an editor for Gazebos for Sale and 14 Foot Enclosure, the author compares a number of goods online.

How To Make Wine At Home

Making wine at home is not difficult, and it is a very rewarding hobby. In this article, we will go through the equipment needed and all the steps you take to make wine from fruit - grapes, apples, plums, pears, peaches, or whatever fruit you have.

You can also make wine at home from a kit, usually using grape concentrate, but the results are very variable, and it is much more satisfying to make wine from fresh fruit.

Wine

You probably thought of home wine making because you have your own fruit, or have been given some, or because fruit is in season in your area and you can get it very cheaply. Making wine is a great way of using fruit when you cannot possibly eat it all, or make all of it into jam, or freeze it all.

I have made wine successfully from many kinds of fruit, including grapes, apples, apricots, plums (many varieties), quinces, pears and peaches. Make sure you discard all rotten or suspect fruit right at the start.

Assuming you have your fruit ready, here are the equipment and supplies you need.

With this all collected, follow these steps to make your wine.

Get your juice

People starting out with home fruit wine making often wonder how much fruit they actually need. Here is a tip I have found works - you need enough juice to fill the glass fermentation vessel you are using - your carboy or demijohn. Some recipes advocate watering your fruit juice to make up the quantity you need, but never do this. Use pure juice and your wine will be full-flavored and satisfying to drink.

You will either press the fruit, squeeze it by hand or use an electric juicer. If squeezing by hand (soft plums for example) you will need a large stainless steel or plastic container. If you have hard fruit like apples or hard plums, and electric juicer is a good investment if you don't own one already. You can also cut up the fruit and boil it in a little water to extract the juice, but this degrades the flavor of the final wine. If you have grapes, you can try trampling them with your feet in the traditional manner. Some fruits can be cut up and left to soak for a few days in a little water to extract the flavor and color from the skin.

Some fruit, like apples, throw a tremendous froth after juicing and you will have to siphon the juice out after the froth has risen to the top.

Note that mixed fruit wines are very successful. If you have only a few apricots but a lot of apples, mix the juice to make up your gallon.

Add the sugar

Some fruit juice, like very sweet grape juice, will not need the addition of any sugar. Most other fruit wines will need sugar to be added. I normally add 2 pound of sugar to make up one gallon of fruit juice. If you prefer a drier wine, you can reduce this amount. This is the reason it is better to use several smaller glass vessels when starting with home fruit wine making - you can vary the amount of sugar in each (record this by writing on the carboy with a felt pen); when you eventually come to drink the wines, you will know which style between dry, medium and sweet that you prefer. More sugar also means more food for the yeast, and so more alcoholic wine at the end of the process.

Add the sugar by warming the fruit juice slightly in a stainless steel pan, and stirring in the sugar to dissolve it.

Add the yeast

Sterilize your carboy or demijohn with sterilizing solution, or boiling water. Put the sugared fruit juice into your vessel. Dissolve the powdered yeast in a little warm water and sugar in a cup, and leave it for a few minutes to activate. Then add the yeast to the fruit juice. Put your air lock on the vessel.

Fermentation of the fruit juice should begin soon, and you will see bubbles in the air lock. This means the yeast is converting the sugar to alcohol.

Watch and wait

Put your fermentation vessel in a warm place if possible. Ideally you should leave the wine fermenting for nine months to a year. If you drink it after only a month or two it will taste rough and poor; leaving it for about a year will let it mellow out - this really makes a difference. As fermentation goes on, you will notice a white layer appear at the bottom of the fermentation vessel. This is formed by dead yeast cells. You can 'rack', or siphon the wine into a new vessel, which stops the wine becoming tainted with a yeasty aftertaste. You should do this once a month.

Bottle your wine

If the wine has not clarified, and you want it to be fully clear before bottling, leave the vessel in a very cold place for a week or so, and the clarity should improve.

When the fermentation has stopped (no bubbles coming through the air lock) you can bottle the wine and cork the bottle. Remember to sterilize the bottles and corks before you use them. If you will be making a lot of wine, remember to label all the bottles with details of the fruit, the yeast variety used and date of bottling. If you make a superb batch, you can then try to replicate it in following years.

Drink up!

Few people can resist drinking a bottle at this stage. But most fruit wines are at their best up to two years after bottling, so you can put a few bottles aside until you have some friends round, or have something to celebrate. There's nothing quite like drinking your own wine, made the way you like it!

How To Make Wine At Home

Scott Kintraw makes his own fruit wines in the fall every year. For more detail on how to make wine and more tips for home wine success, see how to make wine at kintraw.com

Wine Racks For Storage - Here's How to Use Wine Racks For Storage

Wine racks, of course, make lovely storage devices for bottles of wine. Since wine was originally sealed with cork, keeping the cork moist kept it from shrinking and becoming loose from the bottles neck. Storing the wine on its side made sure the wine always kept the cork moist. But there are other storage uses for a wine rack.

Fold hand towels in half or in thirds and roll tightly. Place the towel roll in the round openings of the rack. Towels stored this way add a touch of color to the bathroom and stay clean and dry. Washcloths can be stored as well if two washcloths are rolled together, otherwise the roll is too small and will fall out. Large wine racks for liter and half size bottles can store bath towels.

Wine

Roll contoured bed sheets and place in the openings. Contoured sheets are next to impossible for one person to fold neatly. A wine rack means you don't have to. The flat sheets and pillow cases can be folded and placed next to the wine rack. In the larger racks a single flat sheet, pillow case, and contoured sheet can be rolled together. Changing the sheets is easy just grab and go.

Use the wine rack in the kitchen to store bottles of vinegars and oils. These will be in easy reach when you're cooking and you won't have to fumble in a dark kitchen cabinet to make sure you've grabbed the right bottle. Make sure caps are on tight.

Store rolled up tee shirts using the same method as for the hand towels. Sweaters can be rolled as well. Clothing that isn't used often, or are out of season, can be rolled and stored this same way on the top shelves of a closet.

Boots often flop over and leave a crease in the leather. Storing the boots in the wine rack keeps them from flopping over. Turn the toe of the boot to the outside of the rack so the boots fit.

Place the wine rack near the entry way and use it to sort mail for each family member. Hot glue a 4 inch strip of balsa wood on the bottom of each wine compartment from back to front, so the mail won't fall out. Balsa wood is very thin and should bend to conform to the curve of the rack. A heavy piece of cardboard can be used as well but doesn't look as nice. The wine rack can also hold school reports that need parent's signatures, permission slips, lunch menus or notices from school. Assign a group of slots to each family member. Most mail will fit in the openings without folding. The rack is conveniently located, keeps the mess off the entry way table and it's easy to see at a glance who has what.

Wine Racks For Storage - Here's How to Use Wine Racks For Storage

More easy gardening care tips. Dee Power is the author of several nonfiction books, and the novel "Over Time." She is also the author of the Publishing Primer about How to get book published.

French Wine Making

Wine making in France is not only a very economically viable activity but is also considered to be no less than any form of art. It is often referred to as an expression of one's creativity and the maker is literally considered to be an artist.

There are many different varieties of French wines. The most crucial factors that create differences in the kind of wine being prepared are, the choice of territory, the climate, the date of harvest, grape variety, the kind of container in which fermentation takes place, the temperature at which the grape juice is maintained during fermentation, the exact period of fermentation, and the type of container in which maturation takes place. All these factors are important determiners of the kind of wine which is ultimately made, its taste, color and peculiar smell.

Wine

In total, there are eleven suggested steps in wine making. These are plantation or grafting of a vine stock, growing of a grape bunch, subsequent harvesting of the grapes, de-stemming (only for red wines) and crushing the grapes, alcoholic fermentation of the liquid, maceration (only for red wines), raking the wine, malolactic fermentation, maturation of the wine, bottling the wine and finally, tasting the wine. The steps may be altered or changed depending on the kind of wine to be produced.

There is no one particular way to make wines. The methods of wine making differ from not only region to region but also from one wine maker to another. That is what makes the different kinds of wine available to the people. However, there are certain guidelines given to the wine makers and the vineyard owners as to how the process of wine making should be carried out. These simply provide frameworks to wine making and do not serve as rigid rules.

French Wine Making

French Wine provides detailed information on French Wine, French Wine Gifts, French White Wines, French Red Wines and more. French Wine is affiliated with Italian Red Wines.

Easy Wine Making

Easy wine making really consists of a healthy balance between factual knowledge and common knowledge. A combination of these two, along with a good wine-making grape will result in a delicious glass of wine for you and your family to enjoy.

Crushing & Pressing

Wine

Generally speaking, 50 pounds of grapes yields five gallons of wine.

Once you harvest your grapes, you must place them in a plastic vat (found at any wine-making shop) for crushing. Always make sure to fill your vat only 2/3 so as not to waste any of the smashed grape mixture.

Foot grape crushing methods have proved to be effective and easy to employ. For smaller amounts of grapes, you can crush them with a potato smasher, or simply your hands.

Once the must (name given to grapes after they are smashed) is done, you must add potassium metabisulfite in order to prevent the growth of unwanted yeasts that can affect the taste of your wine. This chemical can be purchased in Campden tablets, and the recommended dose is to be added to the must. The mixture is then covered with a cloth and left to sit for a day.

Fermentation Process

The next day, the wine fermenting yeast must be added. Wine yeast must not be confused with bread yeast, since these two are not interchangeable.

After adding the yeast, work it in the mixture using your hands to increase the temperature for the yeast to be activated. Comb out most or all stems, cover, and leave to rest. You will notice that the mixture will begin to fizz, and will look like its almost boiling by the peak fermenting time (72 hours). Within a week the fizzing will cease and you will have to strain the wine to remove any seeds, grape peel and pulp. To do the straining you can use a cheesecloth or mesh bag, squeezing out the wine thoroughly to extract as much juice as possible.

The wine is then to be placed in a wine barrel or in a glass carboy, depending to taste and/or resources. It is important to keep the wine away from air exposure to preserve its taste and ageing process. An airlock is a popular choice amongst winemakers, as it keep oxygen out, but it allows for the release of the gases caused by the on-going fermentation of the wine.

Racking

An average of 2-3 days is, usually, how long it takes for the fizzing to halt. Once this occurs, you must rack the wine in order to remove the lees (yeast and grape residue) that normally remain at the bottom of the barrel/carboy.

The most effective way of doing this is to siphon the wine out of the bearing container, remove the lees, and return the wine into the original container.

A second racking will be needed 2 to 3 months after the first racking, and a third racking will be required 3 to 4 months following that.

Once the third racking is completed, the wine is ready to be aged. Aging must be done in a very dark, cool place, with just one rule of thumb that is easy to remember: the longer the aging, the better the wine.

Easy Wine Making

Pierre Duponte is a grape growing expert. For more detailed easy wine making instructions, as well as grape growing information visit http://www.grapegrowingwinemakingtips.com/.

Christmas Decorating With Wine Accessories

Decorating for Christmas has always been an enjoyable time of the year. Although unpacking old decorations can bring back wonderful memories, every once in a while I want to spice things up a bit. There are several Christmas wine related items out there that can take decorating your home to the next level. Unused Christmas wine stoppers can line your counter tops, holiday napkins can sit on the table and be more accessible, and those elegant wine bags that you received as a gift with your bottle of wine can be used as potpourri bags.

With such a large variety of holiday wine stoppers out there, you can tailor chose them to fit your style. Just pick 3 or 5, odd numbers make for better visual appeal, and arrange them to sit in a pattern of your choice in your kitchen or bar area. To make this decoration area even more Christmas themed, grab an inexpensive holiday wine bag and place it over a bottle, empty or full, and set it up behind the wine stoppers. Get creative and mix in some of your old decorations to make your own holiday scene. You can even add holiday glasses to the mix. Like hand painted holiday wine glasses are also a great way to decorate. You can place them next to your wine stoppers on the counter top or in your cabinet with glass doors, so that they are visible. With a large variety of styles available you can do all one style or five different styles. When each guest is poured a glass it is easily identifiable; no more confusion on whose wine glass was left next to the casserole Christmas Eve during dinner preparation.

Wine

And what about those wine bags that you get as gifts? Re-use them as decorations around your home. The paper wine bags can be candy cane holders; just hang candy canes along the edge and put a few on the inside at the bottom to weigh it down. For the sheer, shapeless bags fill them with holiday scented potpourri. Not only will they be beautifully displayed, it will make any room smell great. Another type of wine bag that can serve two purposes, is the large velvet bags. Hang them from cabinets and fill them with your plastic grocery bags so that you have easy access and a stylish way to store them. With so many low cost, trendy wine bags available you should find multiple uses for them besides wine gift bags.

Christmas ornaments are always hung from your tree. Have you thought about using them in alternative ways? Smaller, flatter ones can be hung from any bottle; olive oil, wine, or liquor. This way you can add holiday spirit to your spirits. Another great alternative to hanging ornaments from the tree is to buy some suction cups with hooks, and hang your ornaments from your window or on cabinets at work. Anywhere a suction cup can grab hold, you can put an ornament.

There are many other uses for your wine accessories, just be creative! Ditch the traditional ways of decorating and try something new this season. You will dazzle your family and friends with imaginative alternatives for those unused holiday wine accessories.

Christmas Decorating With Wine Accessories

David Scott is the owner of WineChristmas.com, a branch of Su Vino Winery. Wine Christmas carries Lolita Christmas Glasses, Wine Glass Ornaments, Wine Gift Bags and several other wine related Christmas items.

Let's Dance! Ideas For Planning a Fun Dinner Dance Event

Is your group planning a dinner dance event? This is a very popular type of event that can also be a good fundraiser for your group. Here are some tips to help make your dance run even more smoothly this year and help with your fundraising.

Try to Plan Early. The success for many events is simply having the extra time to be able to get organized. You can "shop around" for sponsors or for items needed for the event like decorations and food. Extra time can also help you find more volunteers, committee members and let people know about your event.

Wine

Plan a Great Menu. When your dance event also includes dinner, it's important to have a menu that your guests will enjoy. The food you choose may depend on the style of your dance - is it formal, semi-formal or casual? Or is it a theme party, like a '50's dance or costume party? Choose a menu appropriate to the style or theme of your event. Also keep in mind the types of foods your guests will enjoy and don't forget to have desserts! A dance for adults may feature a cash bar, which a school dance would have sodas. You could even rent a margarita or daiquiri machine, or slushie machine if it's a student event.  

Add a Raffle or a Silent Auction. A great way to raise funds at a dinner dance is to add a raffle or a silent auction. The best way to create these is to have volunteers or committee members that are focused on obtaining items for for the event. Encourage committee members to be friendly and ask everyone they can think of for some type of prize, you never know who might come up with a great prize. Of course it is unlikely that you will get prizes unless you ask for them! A raffle and/or silent auction can help to boost the fundraising aspect your dinner dance fundraiser event.  

Ask for Dinner Sponsors. You can ask for people to help sponsor the cost of the dinner. This will help you raise more funds. These sponsors can be recognized in a special way (in the program or at the event itself). You may need sponsorship for catering, disk jockey, dessert, linens, glassware and liquor.  

Create a Program. Many dinner dances give away a journal or program for the event. This a terrific way to thank your volunteers and a good way to obtain even more sponsors and get donations for your dinner dance. Committee members and volunteers can ask people if they are interested in purchasing advertisements in the dinner dance program. One way to "sell" even more journal ads is to have different levels of ad sponsorship available, based on the size of the ad and/or the amount of donations. You will need to have some dedicated volunteers or committee members in charge of the journal, and a terrific graphics person to put it all together.  
Make it a Photo-Op. Hire a photographer or recruit a great amateur to take photos of your event. You can set up a special photo area for couples and friends to get photos made together. Your photographer can also take group photos and casual shots. Dance guests can then order photos after the event. You may find a photographer who puts proofs online and then guests can choose or order their own prints.  

Say "Thank You". It is important to thank everyone involved in the dinner. From the staff that worked on the dinner to the volunteers that helped in any way and the guests that attended thank them in person at the event for their help. An thank you note or letter sent by mail can also be a nice touch. If this was primarily a fundraiser, let people know how funds will be spent. People will remember your appreciative attitude, in addition to the great time that they had at your event.

Let's Dance! Ideas For Planning a Fun Dinner Dance Event

About the Author: Jennifer Lawton researches fun and creative fundraisers for schools, sports teams, and other groups. Here's more info about junior high school fundraisers including the popular dance dance revolution (DDR).

Wine and Food Pairings - Which Wine to Serve with Dinner

Most people love to throw dinner parties for their friends and family. But, they may avoid serving wine because they do not know exactly what to serve. Do you serve red or white with fish? Will Merlot be okay if you are serving a Mexican dish? Do not stress over it - there are some basic wine rules you can follow.

The number one rule of thumb when choosing wine is "red wine with red meat, white wine with white meat." This is not always true, but it generally works quite well when you are unsure. One exception is chicken. The meat is white, but a nice fruity red wine goes well with it. The same can be said for tuna or salmon, so you do not have to always follow the rule of not serving red wine with fish. The second rule is the rule of complements. It is okay to match sweet seafood such as lobster with a sweet white wine. The next rule is the opposites attract. While you usually want to match like flavors, sometimes a contrast, such as a White Bordeaux with bluefish can be wonderful.

Wine

Outside of the basic rules, there are certain things you can look for and certain things you can avoid depending on what you are serving. Here are some hints as to what to serve with particular types of food.

Salads and Appetizers

You should avoid serving wine during your salad, as vinegar and wine do not mix well. But, if you are having an appetizer, you need to consider the ingredients in the appetizer to help you choose your wine. If you are having a cheese tray, the type of cheese will help you determine the wine. For example, cheddar is best with dry reds, Merlots, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Pinot Noir goes best with Swiss. Camembert and brie are great with a Chardonnay. The cheese we tend to think of as Italian such as parmigiano, romano, and reggiano go well with Italian dry red wines like Chianti and Barlol. If you are serving something a fried appetizer, consider serving a crisp, fruity white or red wine to help cut the oily flavor.

Beef, Steak and Lamb

Do you remember the "red wine with red meat" rule? That one is great to use when serving beef, steak, and lamb. Choose a dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or a burgundy like Pinot Noir. You can also consider serving an Italian red such as Barolo or Chianti.

Fish and Seafood

To be safe, stick with a dry, crisp white wine. Sauvignon Blanc goes well with white fish while Sancerre and Muscadet go well with oysters. If you want to be different, try a fruity red wine (without tannins). But, use caution when serving red, especially if you are serving white, delicate fish. Cabernets with tannins combined with fish can leave a metallic taste in your mouth.

Poultry, Pork and Veal

For the most part, you want to follow the "white meat, white wine" rule with these. White chardonnays and Pinot Blancs are great. If you want to serve red with chicken, remember to choose a wine that is fruity like a Merlot or Zinfandel.

Turkey

Think back to Thanksgiving. Do you remember how well your cranberry sauce went with the turkey? The same rule applies here. For turkey, since it has both white and dark meat, you want something fruity and tart such as a Beaujolais for red or a Riesling for white.

Spicy Foods

If you are planning on service something spicy like Thai or Indian food, a sparkling wine works best. Avoid wines with tannins and look for something fruity. And, make sure the wine is well chilled. Cold wine goes well with spicy foods.

Dessert

The best thing to serve with a delicious dessert is a dessert wine. In fact, you can skip the dessert part and just serve a dessert wine to your guests. These are sweet wines often sold in smaller bottles as you don't drink as much dessert wine as you do regular wine. Wines such as Sauternes, Beerenauslese, Bermet and Cammandaria will make a great end to any evening.

The most important rule about what wine to serve is to avoid being snobby about wine. There are no right answers, only basic rules to go by and even those, as you have seen, can be changed. Do not be afraid to experiment with different tastes. Chances are if you do not act like there is anything wrong with the wine you are serving, your guests will not either.

Wine and Food Pairings - Which Wine to Serve with Dinner

Jason Connors is a wine lover providing valuable tips and advice on wine cellar design, wine making, and wine basics. Read his recent report on "What To Look For in a Wine Cooling System".