Selecting a good wine off of a wine list can be a real challenge, especially if you have never heard of them before. You meal won’t likely be ruined by your wine selection, but you want to be able to enjoy your food and your wine together. Here are a few strategies to help.
The first strategy is to know which wines are food-friendly. You want your food to pair well with your wine selection. If you are ordering a bottle or two for a whole table, you will want a versatile wine that goes with everyone’s meal choices.
A food-friendly red wine is a Pinot Noir. A food-friendly white wine is a Riesling. Chances are that any respectable wine-serving restaurant will have both on the menu. There are great Pinot Noirs from Oregon and California. The best Rieslings are from Alsace and Germany, but if those aren’t options New York and Canada have good Rieslings as well.
The next strategy is to get a copy of the wine list in advance. This is great if you are trying to impress a group of friends or family with your wine knowledge. Take the wine list and do some research on the Internet if you need to. You can even look up pronunciations so that you can practice before ordering. Several restaurants have web sites or they can fax you a copy as well. Most restaurants will have no problems with sending you the list.
The third strategy is to ask for help. The person you would want to ask is a sommelier. They know wine and they will be able to answer all of your wine questions. Not all restaurants have sommeliers, but if you need to you can get a copy of the wine list and work through it with the sommelier. They will know a lot about the wines and will help you pair what people might be ordering with wines off of the list.
If the restaurant does have sommelier, they will know their wine list intimately. They are taking care of all the aspects of the wine at the restaurant. In most cases, they have personally chosen the wines, stored them, written the descriptions and trained their staff.
In some restaurants, the wine list can be your friend. The list will also let you know what quality of wine is available at the restaurant. The list can be very simple with just a blush, a white and a red. On the other hand, you may have several options for each category. Some lists will provide household wine names that are highly advertised, popular and considered “everyday” wines. If the restaurant really cares about your wine experience, they will offer a variety of different brands and types so that you can mix and match throughout your meal.
Once you have a wine list, you may have to do some deciphering. The list may be very basic and only list the names of the wine and the price. This can be difficult if they are wines that you have never heard of before. Then the wine list may be divided by country or varietal. This is a little more helpful as you will know where the wine is coming from and if it is red or white. Another wine list that is extremely helpful is the “stylish” wine list. These listing the wines under headings of “Dry and Crisp” or “Full-Bodied Reds.” They may even include descriptions such as “oaky” or “hints of chocolate.” This gives you a better idea of what you are getting when you order that wine. The progrogessive wine list may include all of the above. They will most likely list the wines from lightest to richest, or sweet to dry. The price may also be progressive with the most expensive being at the bottom of each section.
Now that you have an idea of what you are going to order, how do you know if it goes with your food? Look for chef suggestions in a menu first. These wines will be off the wine list and have been tested to see what dishes they go with best. The dish you are ordering may have a suggested wine below it.
If a food leaves a sour taste in your mouth, then a wine that is high in acid will complement it. A sour food might include fish with lemon squirted on it or a vinaigrette dressing on a salad. A wine with a high acidity level might be a Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling or Chenin Blanc.
The sweeter the food, the less sweet the wine will taste. If you order dessert, get a wine that is sweeter than your dessert. Even a moderately sweet wine may taste bitter if paired with something really sweet. Suggested sweet pairings include New York Cheesecake and Muscat, Tiramisu and Port, or Bread Pudding with a late harvest Riesling.
If your food has a hint of bitterness, you will want a wine with some bitterness such as a red wine with some tannin. For example, you may choose a Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz.
Regina
Many people believe that a wine chocolate gift basket is a great gift but unworthy of their time and effort. While it is true that putting together a wine chocolate gift basket can be a tough job, by following a few simple rules it can easily become a cake walk. By following these rules you can easily construct a gift that will deliver a smile to the face of whoever receives it.
Don’ts
Choosing the right wine is one of the most important things to remember when putting together a wine chocolate gift basket. In fact, most people make a little mistake when choosing the wine which disturbs the overall gift. Some wines should not be mixed with chocolate especially dry wines. Be sure to avoid the following wines: Semillon, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Gewurtraminer. If you insist on giving dry wine replace the chocolate with cheese or bread. Also remember certain wines pair better with certain chocolates. For instance, light bodied wines should be mixed with light, creamy chocolate while full bodied wines should be mixed with strong, dark chocolate.
Mixing Wines and Chocolates
Once again certain wines are better when paired with certain chocolates. When giving red wines it is best to give dark chocolate. Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon when paired together with some type of dark chocolate make a perfect wine chocolate gift basket that anyone would be thrilled to receive. Milk chocolate seems to work great with Pinot Noir and Merlot.
Building a wine chocolate gift basket can be difficult when using white wines. It is extremely difficult to find the perfect chocolate to complement drier wines. If you insist of giving white wine the try pairing milk chocolate with Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling. Chardonnay and French Vanilla chocolate can also be paired together to created a nearly flawless wine chocolate gift basket.
Dessert wines are unique as their have their own set of guidelines. To build a quick and easy wine chocolate gift basket combine Champagne or Sparkling wine with almost any type of chocolate. Port wine should be given with dark chocolate while Sherry wine works best with white chocolate.
Following the Rules
After reading this article you should be able to determine that building a wine chocolate gift basket is actually relatively easy. Just follow the rules and you should be alright. You should start by choosing either a wine or chocolate that you feel the receiver would love. Then simply follow the rules and find the correct wine or chocolate that would pair best with it. You will quickly see how much these rules actually help. People will even be asking you to build them a wine chocolate gift basket!
Those attempting to build a wine chocolate basket for the first time should experiment with a dessert wine. Going with Champagne and Sparking wines can make the process almost effortless since the two work great with almost any type of chocolate. If you feel more comfortable with your new found talent then try mixing red wine with either milk or dark chocolate. Now you should be able to make the perfect wine chocolate basket.
America
