Barcelona Soccer Team Facts

Barcelona is a city long in love with sports, especially the Barcelona Soccer Team.

In addition to hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics, Barcelona hosted parts of the 1982 Football World Cup and has hosted the X FINA World Championship and Eurobasket. The city has two UEFA 5-star rated football stadiums: FC Barcelona's Nou Camp and the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

Claret

FC Barcelona's soccer team is almost a way of life in Barcelona. The rivalry with Madrid rises almost to the point where Barcelona can be considered the Catalonia national team. FC Barca was founded on 29 November 1899 by Joan Gamper, who created the team colors of blue and claret from the Swiss canton in which he lived. Barcelona lost its first ever match with some English expatriates 0-1, but within ten years began a string of Catalan and Spanish championships lasting decades. FC Barcelona went though tough times in the rise to the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath, but was able to recover and by the mid 1940s resumed its championship ways.

Barcelona Soccer Team Facts

FC Barcelona is a sports club containing basketball, handball, hockey, ice-hockey, figure skating, indoor football, rugby, baseball, volleyball and women's football, but the jewel in the crown has always been association football, or the Barcelona Soccer Team. The Barcelona team has qualified every year for the European competition since it was founded in 1955.

The club motto is "Més que un club" and they refer to their stadium as "Camp Nou." In English these are "More than a club" and "Our Ground." Despite a slump at the turn of the century, FC Barcelona has assembled a talented team and once again resumed winning ways. The club currently has a five-year deal with UNICEF, wearing the emblem on their jerseys and paying .9 million a year for the privilege.

Among the many claims to fame of the Barca team are that it has more victories than any other Association Football team in the world. They also have more wins in the Copa del Rey, the Spanish tournament, than any other team with 24 victories. There are 18 La Liga Championships, 7 Supercopa de Espana, 2 EUFA Champions League, 4 EUFA Winner's Cups, 3 Inter-Cities Fairs Cups, 1 Inter-City Fairs Cup Trophy Play-off, 2 European Super Cups, 2 Copa Latina, 4 Copa de Oro Argentina, 22 Catalan Championships, 2 Copa Martina Rossi, 4 Coupe de Pyrenees, 1 Mediterranean League, 2 Copa de Ligua, 1 Copa Barcelona, 1 Lligua Catalana, 5 Copa Catalana and one Little World Cup. It is little wonder Barcelona has embraced the Barcelona Soccer Team and reveres it as a symbol of Catalonia.

Barcelona Soccer Team Facts

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Vintage Kitchens of the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s

1930s: The Steam-lined -Depression Era "Modern Kitchen"

By the 1930's, the kitchen was being transformed from the old fashioned kitchen to the "Streamlined-Modern Kitchen" with time saving features, better organization and much improved ventilation. The "all-electric kitchen" was promoted in popular magazines with numerous advertisements showing newly designed small and major appliances. Mixers were the homemakers dream now designed with numerous attachments that could sift flour, mix dough, grate cheese, squeeze lemons, whip potatoes, shred, slice and chop vegetables and even sharpen knives. "Depression Green" was the "in" color used on the wooden handles of kitchen utensils, on kitchen cabinets and tables and on kitchen wares. Often accessories were cream and green replacing the white and black look of the previous decades.

Vintage

Other popular color combinations in the 1930s were Gray and Red or Crimson, Silver and Green, Pearl Pink and Blue, as well as the use of checkered patterns on textiles. Kitchen wares such as canisters and Bread boxes tended to be softly painted with perhaps a simple decal.

Vintage Kitchens of the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s

In 1935 the National Modernization Bureau was established to promote modernization throughout the country. Manufacturers competed for better designed appliances and kitchen accessories. Color began to enter the kitchens of the thirties and articles in magazines featured decorating tips on color schemes and how to incorporate the kitchen into the rest of the home. Kitchens were no longer work stations but gaining as much attention as the rest of the home. Small and large appliances were available in color and Sears and Montgomery Ward featured colorful kitchen wares and "japanned" accessories such as canister sets, range sets, cake savers, bread boxes and waste baskets.

1940s: The Postwar Colorful Era

The Post War kitchen of the 1940's began to become family gathering places and now tables and chairs made of chrome bases with enamel, linoleum or plastic tops could be added to a more spacious kitchen which replaced the smaller work centered earlier kitchens. Separate formal dining rooms were being replaced by kitchens that could accommodate the family and guests. The kitchen was becoming a very inviting space and primary colors dominated the interior décor palette. Magazines advertised products for your "Gay Modern Kitchen". Combinations of red, green and yellow or red and black were popular as well as brightly colored tablecloths, textiles and curtains. Flowers, fruits and Dutch motif were in vogue and found on shelving paper, trim, decals and kitchenwares. Appliances continued to be produced with streamlined designs, rounded corners and smaller proportions. The combination washer/dishwasher was introduced as well as the garbage disposal and freezers for home use.

1950s: The Atomic Era-Pastel Color-Space Age

Dramatic changes would occur in the kitchens of the 1950's as space age, atomic era designs and materials entered the scene. The fifties kitchen featured plastics, pastel colors such turquoise or aqua, pink and yellow (cottage colors), Formica and chrome kitchen table and chair sets matched formica kitchen counters and were easy to keep clean with messy little ones. After the war there was more time for leisure promoting kitchenware's and accessories for picnics, barbecues, parties and the home bar.

The introduction of color T.V. in the 1950s brought full color into America's living rooms where homemakers could now see all the exciting products and appliances available to them. Following World War II, there was a new generation of plastics and time for "gracious living" and entertaining. Kitchens and homes saw the transition from glass, ceramic and tin products to numerous types of plastics which made casual living easier. Melmac and Melamine dishes, Lustro-ware and Tupperware storage accessories and "thermowall" for picnics were a huge success. Vinyl was used for tablecloths, chair covers and furniture and bark cloth with boomerang and abstract shapes was popular. Tablecloths and dishcloths continued to be brightly colored and souvenir textiles were added to the home with tropical, Southwestern and Mexicana themes. Poodles, roosters and designs with kitchen utensils, tea pots and coffee pots decorated potholders, appliance covers and linens. Appliances were built-in and came in fifties colors such as turquoise, soft yellow, pink and copper.

Vintage Kitchens of the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

If you would like to contact Dianne, email her at Dianne@CDianneZweig.com or visit her website at http://www.cdiannezweig.com/

Dianne is a member of:
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Types of Cactus Species

Cacti for plural use and Cactus for general are the specific plants of the Cactaceae family. The Cactaceae are the biggest existing family of the tender cactus plants. There are around 2000 recognized types of cactus species in the world, especially in the regions of Central, South, and North America. A huge amount of cactuses, but not entire, are fine habitant to the desert climatic conditions, utilizing their trunks for accumulation of water during long durational dry seasons. Several various cactus species of the barrel cacti shares the bodily attributes of a bony layered barrel shaped trunk. In terms of comparison, several types of the cactus species of barrel are of average length of about 4-10 feet. This physical feature makes the barrel cacti tinier than the huge columnar cactus and bigger than the pincushion cactus species. The barrel cacti mostly stand as a lone trunk cacti rather than huddled in factions, with blooms on the top. The barrel cactus species are one of the most admired countryside species of the cactus family.

Major Species:

Claret

One of the major distinctive cactus species is the Claret Cup cactus with attractive reddish and cup shaped flowers. This particular cactus species illustrates the tale behind the actual name of the cactus family. The shades and the surface between the stream and the remaining plant, makes it a popular snappy cactus species for several people residing in its habitant, mostly in the southern regions of the deserts in the extreme Southwest extending from California to Texas. Certain landscapers and garden keepers also admire utilizing it as a hummingbird cactus. This is because a wide range of hummingbird species such as the Magnificent, Black-chinned hummingbird, and the Broad-tailed hummingbird nourishes on the Claret cup cactus flower nectar and assists it in pollination process. Basically, the Claret cup cactus species is a small and spiny cactus that most often nurtures in groups of trunks. Another most admired cactus species is the Organ pipe cactus that are big grooved cactus that nurtures frequently in groups representing the organ pipes. The organ pipe cactus is inhabitant of the Sonoran Desert area of the Southern Arizona and Northern Mexico. One unique features of this cactus species is that they are nighttime bloomers and are mostly pollinated by bats.

Types of Cactus Species

Other Secondary Species:

The name of Pincushion is provided to loads of cactus species existing in the world. The Pincushion cactus is a tiny circular plant with small thorns. It appears as if someone has fussed pins in a cushion. The Pincushion cacti are quite adjustable types of cactus nurturing in an array of habitations. In the year of 1986, Arizona, the Pincushion cactus was declared as one of the endangered species of the cactus family.

Types of Cactus Species

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Vintage Perfume Atomizers - How to Spot Genuine Vintage Perfume Bottles

Vintage perfume atomizers and its growing popularity as collection pieces are also inspiring some type of fraud. There are many people who create imitations of antique perfume bottles because of its hefty value. However, there are some special markings and features of a genuine antique bottle that can be identified to avoid such.

Materials are very important pieces of any merchandise. In the case of vintage bottles, crystal lead should be the most genuine of all its materials. However, there are also some genuine bottles that are made from porcelain, this is especially true it these are from the Eastern side.

Vintage

Features are still very essential. These features include the different elements in the bottle itself. There are many features of modern perfume bottles that are very different from the bottles. Some of these include how the perfume is dispensed as well as the bottles' own design.

Vintage Perfume Atomizers - How to Spot Genuine Vintage Perfume Bottles

One of the most notable features of a vintage perfume atomizers is the glass dauber stub. This is for dabbing larger areas with perfume. Say, you would be applying perfume at the lower part of the dress. If bottles have this type of top, then, there is a high probability of its originality.

Another important feature of Vintage perfume atomizers is the cork stub, since it keeps the perfume from spilling in case of topple. These cork stubs also keeps the top tight in place. One other feature of vintage perfume bottles are glass dip sticks. These are the sticks that are inside the bottle, used to apply in specific areas. Thus, spot application of the perfume. Just like modern perfume bottles that have a stick in the middle, their vintage counterparts have these also, only with different purpose. One was for dipping, the other as siphon for spraying.

Among the important features include the atomizer cushion which helps spray the perfume. Almost all depiction of bottles are with this type of cushion. Even in cartoons, perfumes are depicted in such light. Check on the materials used for the cushion and keep in mind that plastic is not yet used during that time. Any hint of plastic in the materials may mean that the bottle is fake or refurbished.

The bottles also have a difference in it. Usual modern perfume bottles have stable bases. However, some vintage perfume bottles are made to be asymmetrical that is why it cannot sand on its own. Some bases cannot stand on its own and is meant to lie down.

Perhaps the most important sign of a perfume bottle is the sign at the bottom of the bottle. These usually have some type of emblem that id etched at the bottom. Check whether it has a right spelling and that these are some known brands back then. This increases the value of the perfume bottles.

Make sure that you keep these in mind so that you would avoid spending on imitations and fakes.

Vintage Perfume Atomizers - How to Spot Genuine Vintage Perfume Bottles

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Vintage Stationary Engines For Sale - Where to Find Excellent Choices

When looking for vintage stationary engines, you must be armed with patience and a lot of determination. Not everyone has fondness in this equipment, which makes it a little difficult to find in the market. However, you can make use of the advances in today's technology to locate the best vintage stationary engine you can purchase. The best way you can carry this out is to browse on your Internet. You can find just about everything online, and it's such a convenience that you can actually choose from a wide array of websites which have vintage stationary engines for sale.

Although you may have some uncertainties with regards to making payment online with your credit card, you can have this thought diminished by carefully making your selection of site. Make it a point that you settle on sites being managed and patronized by your fellow enthusiasts. This way, you will have the chance to interact with these people, to whom you can acquire useful advices from. To add to that, referring to online sources also allows you to elect for a seller nearest your location. Apart from not having to travel for a long period, picking up the equipment will be less of a hassle, too.

Vintage

Details about vintage stationary for sale can also be acquired through advertisements. You may opt to buy magazines or other publications intended for buyers of stationary engines where there are also many assortments you can make your selection from, including its parts.

Vintage Stationary Engines For Sale - Where to Find Excellent Choices

Regardless of where you intend to purchase a vintage engine, you have to keep in mind a number of considerations to avoid regrets thereafter. Make a thorough scrutiny of the product and make sure it still functions in accordance to what is expected from it. Do not settle on cheap ones if it means sacrificing the quality. Whether you will be using publications or the Internet for reference, be sure you take time to compare the prices. You'll definitely find a stationary engine of good condition at reasonable price. Nonetheless, if you are not certain of which considerations you have to keep an eye on when you buy this item, seeking for an expert buyer's help is recommended.

Vintage Stationary Engines For Sale - Where to Find Excellent Choices

Vintage stationary engines - Find stationary engines at low prices, all makes available Lister, petter, rushton.

Do You Need Some Cheese With That "Wine"?

It's party time and your friends are on their way to your wine and cheese party. Choosing the right kind of cheese you serve depends on two things: the wine you serve and personal taste. As with everything else, everyone has his or her own likes and dislikes. This goes for the wine and the cheese.

Cheese tips:

Wine

Many cheeses taste better close to or at room temperature. Pull them out of the refrigerator an hour or so before serving. Also, you will need approximately 8-12 oz. of total cheese per person of which at least 1-2 oz. servings of each different kind of cheese per person. Remember that tastes vary from person to person, so try to have a nice variety of different kinds of cheeses for the wines you serve. Try these wine/cheese suggestions or mix them up to find what suits each person.

Do You Need Some Cheese With That "Wine"?

Type of Cheese- goes with this wine...

Brie- Merlot, Champagne or Sweet Sherry

Camembert- Cabernet or Chenin Blanc

Cheddar (Mild)- Champagne or Chardonnay

Cheddar (Sharp)- Cabernet or Sauvignon Blanc

Colby- Riesling or Champagne

Edam (from Holland)- Riesling, Dry Champagne or Pinot Noir

Emmentaler (from Switzerland)- Beaujolais

Fete- Beaujolais

Fresh Mozzarella- Red or White Wine

Goat Cheese- Chardonnay

Gouda- Riesling or Champagne

Graddost (Swedish Semi-hard cheese)- Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc

Grafton Village Cheddar- Cabernet or Sauvignon Blanc

Muenster- Beaujolais or Zinfandel

Displaying your cheese can also be fun. Flattened Wine Bottle Cheese Platters are a functional serving piece that can also double as wall art!

Have you ever wondered how they are made? Actual wine bottles are flattened through a 12-hour heat and gravity process reaching temperatures of over 1500 degrees! It takes a true artist to create these works of art. They are created in an actual glass studio ensuring premium quality and exceptional clarity. Each wine bottle cheese platter is unique, as they are hand made. The labels are attached to the underside of platters and are water-resistant. They are easy to clean...just wipe with a damp cloth. As wall art, they come ready to hang with a stainless steel wire melted into the bottle giving guaranteed hanging strength.

You will definitely want to display your wine bottle cheese platter when not in use. You will want a flat wine bottle cheese platter for your next wine and cheese party.
Remember these are just suggestions. If it tastes good, do it! It's party time.

Do You Need Some Cheese With That "Wine"?

Jennifer Sterling is a wine enthusiast and the owner and operator of SterlingWineOnline.com

Wine - A Classy Drink

Wine is an alcoholic drink is made up of grape juice, fermented with yeast. Yeast has the capability of converting the grape juice into an alcoholic compound by breaking up the sugar compounds in it. The types of wines produced depend on the different grapes and different kinds of yeast put in it.

They are not just made from grapes but also different fruits, vegetables, flowers, tree sap, etc. thus depending upon the type of ingredient used in fermenting the wines are given names such as apple wine, fruit wine, barley wine, ginger wine, rice wine, etc.

Wine

Wine is believed to have been come into existence from about 6000 BC in Europe later on moving to the other parts too. Wine in spite of being considered as a hard drink is actually very good for health if drunk to a certain extent, but when crossed the extent it proves to be fatal like any other alcoholic drink!

Wine - A Classy Drink

But the benefits of drinking wine in that limited level also includes prevention from heart failure and heart related diseases. An effect on brain on consumption includes the reduction in the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

There are many types of wines available in the market, but the three major types include:

  • Red
  • White
  • Rose

White one is obtained from white grapes while reds from black or red grapes. There are different types found all over the world with different taste; this is mostly because of the difference even among white grapes and black grapes. Taste of depends upon the taste of the main essence the grapes! A good quality grape provides with a wine of an excellent quality. Cabernet sauvignon is probably one of the majorly produced popular reds in France. You may be thinking of choosing one of the different boat types available in the market and travel to Europe to taste some wines...

There are many interesting flavors, some are; wine with flavor of cherry and chocolate called as merlot and a wine with a smoky flavor called Grenache. White wines are also famous with chardonnay as the most famous white wine which gives a blended flavor of vanilla and fruit. With all this in here there is nothing to be surprised in telling that wine is a woman's drink. Production of wine is not easy it has to be harvested in the winter. White wine is generally produced in and around California.

The storage of wine is a factor not to be forgotten, wine's taste improves with age when properly stored. Wines are easily perishable; hence they have to be stored at a stable atmosphere. Wine is not just used as a drink but also used in culinary, especially desserts. These desert wines are very sweet to taste.

Wine is not something which can be labeled as costly or cheap; it solely depends upon our wants and needs and also the budget. If you are a person with a mad taste for wine, then never say no to a trip to Europe, because you will be missing exquisite experiences with the world's best wines!

Wine - A Classy Drink

ExpertsTown.com is a blog where you can find posts written by real experts. You can read interesting articles, such as ERP Definition.

Wine - Sweet, Dry or Tannic?

There seems to be some confusion among wine drinkers about the meaning of the terms sweet, dry and tannic, and the relationship among them. This article will try to ease that confusion with some simple explanations. Hopefully, it will help you find the right wine for you.

What we're talking about are actually three different things. Two are flavors registered by the taste buds and the other is a physical reaction of the tongue, lips and gums.

Wine

Wine Basics

Wine - Sweet, Dry or Tannic?

It helps to have a basic understanding of how wine is made. The sugar (mostly fructose) in grape juice is converted by yeast into alcohol in the process we call fermentation. If the fermentation is stopped (by raising or lowering the temperature or by adding brandy) before all the sugar is converted to alcohol, the wine will be sweet. If all of the sugar is consumed by the yeast, the wine is considered dry. While all of the sugar is never really converted, in well made table wines, the amount of sugar left behind is small enough to be imperceptible. The major exception is German Riesling, but we'll leave that discussion for another time. Tannin comes from the grape-skins, -seeds, and -stems, and also from new oak barrels.

Those are the technical definitions. How they translate to taste is the most important thing, and there begins the confusion. There are only five sets of taste buds; sweet (sugar receptors), sour (acid receptors), salty (mineral receptors), bitter (25 different receptors), and umami (glutamate receptors). Most of what we call taste really comes from our sense of smell. There are receptors for approximately 350 different scents in our nose[1].

Sweet

Dessert wines contain sugar, which hits the sweet taste buds. That's a pretty simple concept.

Dry

In table wines, since there is no (perceptible) sugar, what we taste as sweet is really an inference we make from the fruit. Since we expect fruit to be sweet, and we taste the fruit (from the aroma), it seems sweet. Check out this definition of sweet from WineKakis.com glossary:

Sweet: A term applied not only to wines with significant residual sugar, such as fortified or dessert wines, but also to those with intense, thoroughly ripe fruit flavors, which can convey a sweet impression even though they may be technically dry.

The degree of sweetness we taste in both dessert wines and table wines is determined by the acidity level of the wine. Sour is the antithesis of sweet. The more acidity present, the less sweet the wine seems to be. Higher acidity wines appear to be drier. Dry in this case is also the opposite of sweet. Hopefully, we don't have any truly sour wines, because that would be a real flaw. We have plenty of wines, however, that we would consider tart, or higher than normal in acidity. On a continuum, our definition of dry would be between sweet and tart.

Wine without sufficient acidity doesn't just taste sweet, it can also taste fairly dead in your mouth. Acidity brings wine to life, and allows more intense fruit flavors to come forward without becoming cloying. Thus a wine can be fruity, yet still be dry.

Tannic

Finally, we come to tannic wines. Tannin affects wine in three ways.

  • In the bottle, tannin acts as a preservative. Tannin soaks up oxygen, allowing wine to develop the complex flavors that come with age without becoming oxidized.
  • On the taste buds, tannin is bitter. In proper proportions, it allows us to perceive flavors like coffee and chocolate in our wines.
  • Finally, tannin causes a physical reaction in the mouth that is separate from its effect on the taste buds. Tannin is astringent, which means that it dries out the tissue of our tongue, lips and gums.

Over time, as wine ages, the tannins form long chains and fall out of the wine as sediment. Wine thus becomes less bitter and less astringent as it matures. Tannin will bind to proteins. That's why a tannic wine always tastes better when consumed with food rather than by itself. The tannins can bind to some of the proteins from the food, rather than to the tissues of the mouth.

We often hear people ask for a wine that isn't too dry, when they really want a wine that isn't too tannic. They aren't looking for a sweet wine. They just want a wine that isn't going to cause that dry mouth sensation you can get from a wine that is high in tannins. The other thing we are often asked is to recommend a wine that is "smooth". While everyone's definition is a little different, we usually interpret that to mean a wine that is neither tart nor tannic.

Side by Side Comparison

To learn about wine, there really is no substitute for tasting. Here are three wines that will help your understanding of these terms. Ask a knowledgeable wine merchant for help in choosing; speaking as one who knows, they are getting paid to stand around and talk about wine all day (is that a good job, or what?) and they are generally very happy to help.

The first is a sweet wine made from the Grenache grape, from the French appellation Banyuls. In Banyuls, the fermentation is stopped by adding brandy to raise the alcohol level. Once the alcohol level gets high enough to kill the yeast, the fermentation stops with residual sugar remaining. This wine is a favorite of mine - a great value in a dessert wine, and Banyuls is (in my opinion) the best wine in the world for pairing with chocolate.

The second selection is a Cotes du Rhone. Try to find one that is fairly fruity. They are generally neither tannic nor uncomfortably tart. This is higher in acidity than the typical California Merlot or Australian Shiraz, but should be very much in balance (the acidity level is in proper portion to the level of fruit.) It is made primarily from the same grape as the Banyuls above, but is a very different wine.

The final choice is an Aglianico del Taburno. This southern Italian has obvious tannins, yet is perfectly accessible. It has moderate acidity. Compared to the Cotes du Rhone above, one should be able to make out the distinct texture and astringency of the tannin.

I hope this clears up the confusion. Buying, serving and drinking wine should be a pleasurable experience. We want you to enjoy every step along the way. Arming yourself with the information you need will help you reach that goal.

Wine - Sweet, Dry or Tannic?

Paul Bressler, 67 Wine & Spirits

For more wine articles, go to http://www.67wine.com and click on the link to Original Articles.

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.

Wine and Food Pairings - Which Wine to Serve with Dinner

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".