Portugal may not be the first country you think of when you’re looking for new wines to sample. However, Portuguese wine production outdates many other countries; the Portuguese have been trading wine with the rest of the world since the early 18th century.
There are legends that tell of wine being produced in Portugal from as far back as 4000 years ago. Of course, the production was much different than it is today, but it is possible that Portugal has been producing wine since the time of the Phoenicians.
Distinctive and Exceptional
Nearly every wine drinker knows that the finest wines produced in Portugal have traditionally been port and Madeira, two fortified wines enjoyed all around the world. There is much more to the wines of Portugal, though, and every variety is as impressive as these well-known beverages.
Portugal has several different wine regions, each producing and using its own distinctive grape varieties. In fact, this is what makes Portuguese wine so unique among other wine-producing countries. The wines produced in Portugal are made from native grape species, and they are all distinctive to the area. There are government safeguards in place to ensure that all wine produced in Portugal is of the highest quality possible.
Many different types of wine come from Portugal, though not all of them are well-known in other parts of the world. Europe, especially England, is well acquainted with most of Portugal’s finest exports, but they have yet to gain the same popularity in the United States.
Alentejo Wine
The Alentejo region is in southern Portugal. The wines produced from the alentejo grapes are fruity, soft whites with a distinctive acidity. This is one of the most preferred wines for consumption within Portugal.
Bairrada Wine
The Regiao Demarcada da Bairrada produces white and red wines, but the most popular wine from this region is a sparkling white wine which is quite commonly found in Portuguese restaurants.
Colares Sand Wine
Near Lisbon, wine grapes are grown in sandy soil that is in short supply today due to the expansion of the city. Colares sand wine is produced in both red and white varieties, and has a distinctive fruity taste.
Dao Wine
The Regiao Demarcada do Dao is in northern Portugal, and it produces some very unique wines from several varieties of Portuguese grapes. These are widely thought to be the finest table wine produced in Portugal.
Moscatel Wine
Moscatel (Muscat in English) is one of the oldest varieties of Portuguese wine. It is a fortified wine that has been enjoyed for hundreds of years.
Port Wine
Port wines are fortified wines that can be enjoyed in either red or white varieties. This is one of the types of wine that made Portuguese wine known and loved around the world.
Vinho Verde
Vinho Verde is produced in northwest Portugal and does not go through an aging stage. It is the second most exported Portuguese wine, just after port.
Something for Everyone
As you can see by these brief descriptions, the wine of Portugal is varied and complex. You are sure to find a variety of Portuguese wine that agrees with you and your discerning palate.
Jewel
To pour the perfect glass of wine you must take several steps:
Temperature Of The Wine:
The temperature at which a wine is served makes an immense impact on its taste. Serving wine while cool will mask some imperfections which is good for younger or cheaper wines. However, a warmer wine temperature allows a more full expression of the wine’s characteristics which is favourable when serving an an older or more expensive wine.
A bottle of wine will cool at about 2 °C (4 °F) for every ten minutes in the fridge, and it will warm at about this same rate when removed and left at room temperature. Obviously, the temperature of the room will affect the speed with which the wine warms up. If you need to chill a bottle of wine quickly, 35 minutes in the freezer will do the trick. Just don’t forget to take the bottle out!
Decanting The Wine:
Decanting is pouring wine into a container before serving. Decanting is typically only required with older wines or Ports, which contain sediment that can add bitterness to the wine.
Wine decanters may improve the flavor of older red wines.
Younger wines also benefit from the aeration that decanting provides. Of course, a wine decanter may also be used simply for aesthetic reasons.
Before decanting a wine that contains sediment, allow the bottle to rest upright allowing any sediment to sink to the bottom. Then slowly pour the wine into the decanter keeping the bottle angled so that no sediment makes its way into the decanter. The wine may be poured through cheesecloth to assist in filtering out any unwanted particles. Decanting wine should be done out of sight of any guests.
Pouring The Wine:
Still wines should be poured towards the center of the glass, while sparkling wines should be poured against the side, like a beer, so that unwanted bubbles do not show up.
To control drips, one can twist the bottle slightly while tilting it upright. When pouring wine, glass should be filled no more than two-thirds. This will allow guests to swirl the wine and smell the bouquet. A glass can always be refilled if desired. Of course, serve wine to the women and older guests first, then the men and end with your own glass.
Type Of Wine Glasses:
As important as serving temperature is the type of glass in which wines are served. The shape of a wine glass can affect the taste of the wine, and for this reason different types of wine are served in specific glasses. The three main types of wine glasses are as follows:
White wine glasses : shaped like a tulip
Red wine glasses : rounded with large bowl
Sparkling wine flutes : tall and thin
A suitable all-purpose wine glass should hold about ten ounces and be transparent to allow the taster to examine the color of the wine as well as its body Moreover, it should have a slight curve in at the top to hold in the bouquet. While an all-purpose wine glass is fine for serving a red wine, be sure not to serve a white wine in a red wine glass.
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What makes wine add such a touch of sophistication to just about anybody? Is it the jewel-like color or the fancy glasses we drink it from? Is it because it represents special occasions for many of us? Is it because we associate it with formal events and celebrations? Maybe it is because we don’t really understand wine very well and feel that those who do have a little extra touch of sophistication about them.
Language
The language of wine gives us wine drinkers the image of sophistication. Often those who do not drink wine are not familiar with wine terminology like tannin, body, acidity, oak, fruitiness, legs and aromas. Wine lovers often debate the different types of wine, the right or wrong way to serve it, whether to decant or not and the flavors and aromas detected in it. They also discuss where wines are from, good years versus bad ones and so much more. It definitely can lead non-wine drinkers to think that we are more sophisticated than the norm. It can also make people think we’re a little pompous!
Reputation
Wine is, by and large, the drink of choice for many special events and for celebrations. Therefore people have come to associate it with people enjoying themselves. When you add wine to just about any occasion, suddenly things are more joyous and people feel like it is a special event. Wine’s reputation makes it sound like a sophisticated choice to drink, unless of course it comes in a box!
Rules
Now most wine drinkers know that there are no hard and fast rules for enjoying wine. However, wine has the reputation of having rules about what temperature to serve it at or what wines go with what foods. Yet in reality, it is all about your taste. Some people serve their red wines chilled or even with an ice cube in it because they simply cannot palate room temperature wine. Others simply enjoy their favorite wine with whatever meal they prepare, regardless of pairing suggestions. It is all about what you like.
Discovery
One of the things that adds to the mystery and sophistication of wine is that there is always something new to try and learn about. There are new wines, different vintages and wines from different regions or different producers to explore. The variety of wine is endless. For many people who enjoy wine immensely, life can be all about discovering new favorites, visiting wineries, making wine at home or learning about wine.
It is a complex subject. For anyone who wants to learn more about wine, there is much written about it. There are books, magazines, web sites and more. Although one of the best ways to explore new wines and learn about them is through wine tasting. Whether you do a wine tasting at home or go to an event, trying it yourself and talking with other wine lovers is the best way to make wine discoveries.
Wine is a sophisticated drink. It is very complex, but can nonetheless be enjoyed by anyone. Whether you have the desire to understand it or not, wine is a wonderful way to relax, enjoy a meal or just liven up a get-together.
Beatriz
Wine is probably the best social drink man has ever known. It comes in hoards of varieties and peculiarly, the classification is generally based on the area in which wine is grown. The classification is required because the number of types is just so mind boggling that the entire industry would be disarrayed if a standard classification system is not in use. Red and white wines are the 2 major classes in the classification of wine, and in the general sense of the term, they represent the approximate colour of the wine. Apart from that, a number of characteristics are also used to classify wines. Sparkle is one such feature and wines that have a fizz are called as sparkling wines. These wines have some quantity of carbon dioxide in them that imparts the fizz to these wines, similar to soft drinks.
Sparkling rose wine is especially very famous as it is one of the few wines that taste really good with the sparkle rather than without it. As is obvious, rose wines are red wines. These wines taste real good and have an aroma. After carbon dioxide is added during bottling, sparkling rose wine is ready and once opened, the contents will fizz out. Generally, carbon dioxide is filled up to a pressure of 2 to 3 atmospheres in these bottles and one must be careful not to subject the bottle of vigorous vibrations, or the contents can splash out. Champagne is a sparkling wine and is used as a celebration drink; it is always “shaken well before use” so that the contents fizz out and mark the celebration mood.
Sparkling rose wine is produced in a number of places including France, Italy and the U.S. The sales of sparkling rose wine are high as compared to other luxury wines and this product is a “hit” in the online wine sales market. Sparkling rose wine is available as a sparkling wine or a semi-sparkling wine, the difference between the two being the level of carbon dioxide in the bottle. Sparkling rose wine has a carbon dioxide pressure of over 2.5 atmospheres in the bottled condition whereas semi-sparkling rose wine has a carbon dioxide pressure of 1 to 2.5 atmospheres.
Sparkling rose wine is one of the stars of the rose wine family. Rose wines are known for their mild colour which can be anything between pale orange to a deep shade of pink. Apart from the colour, there is no connection of rose wines with the flower ‘rose’ that we all know. Rose wines have all the health benefits of red wines. Sparkling rose wine is thus not only good to taste for enjoyment but also healthy. As is always said about wines, moderation is the key to taking complete advantage of all the health benefits they have to offer, sparkling rose wine should also be consumed in moderate quantities, not exceeding 2-3 glasses a day. Regular, moderate consumption has good health benefits and hence, is highly recommended for everyone.
Devin
Many of us have been to wine tastings at a winery or a local liquor store but have you ever hosted a wine tasting party at home?It really is quite easy. First you need to decide what kind of wine party you are going to host.Types of Wine Tasting PartiesVertical — A tasting with an assortment of the same wine, from the same producer and vineyard, across several vintages (the year the grapes were harvested). An example is to taste Chardonnays from 2001, 2003 and 2006 all from the same vineyard.Horizontal — Tasting various wines from the same vintage and ideally, wines from the same region and general style. The purpose of tasting one vintage is mainly to compare the different producers and vineyards. For example, Napa Valley red wines from 2001.Blind — This is where you hide the identities of the wine by either wrapping them or putting them in paper bags. The bottles are numbered and scored without the tasters having the benefit of label, price, producer or anything else.Guest Choice — This is the easiest wine tasting party to coordinate. Simply tell your guests to bring whatever kind of wine they choose. If you want to narrow them down a bit, be specific in your invitations, like “Bring a bottle of your favorite red wine, $20 limit” or “Bring your favorite bottle of Chardonnay, $15 limit.”Obviously, you can combine some of these. How about hosting a Blind-Horizontal wine tasting party?Setting Up Your HomeIf you have the room set up 3 wine tasting stations; one for red wine, one for white and a third for the dessert wines. At each wine tasting station, have on hand:A corkscrewMeasured pourers (serves exactly 1 oz. each time) Bottled water for rinsing mouths and glasses between tastesA container for rinse waterCrackers for cleansing the palette between tastesFor the white and dessert wine stations, an ice bucket to keep the wine chilledIf you have separate wine tasting stations, you can increase the number of guests that you invite because everyone can spread out and start at different stations as opposed to everyone crowding around a single station. Either way, limit the number of guests to no more than 15 people. You want to easily be able to discuss the wines and having more people makes conversation difficult.How Much Wine to BuyIf you are providing the wine yourself, keep in mind that a regular sized bottle of wine holds 750 milliliters or 25.4 ounces.Using the Flip Top Measured Pourers, ensures that every guest receives an exact 1 ounce measure every time you pour. For $16.95, you get 3 of these nifty little gadgets and because they have a flip top, you can also store your wine with theseIf you have 12 guests and use the pourers, you will only use half of each bottle (about 12 ounces) during the tasting process, leaving the rest to enjoy after tasting is over. Make sure you buy additional bottles of various wine to serve before and after the tasting.Scoring the WineHow wine savvy your guests are will determine if you score the wines during the tasting and if so, how you go about scoring them. Keeping things casual is usually your best bet because after all, it is a party. Typically, people do not want to be bothered with a complicated scoring process.A good way to keep it easy is to give your guests a simple scorecard which lists the names of the wines. Ask them to force rank the wines in each category. For example, in the white category there are 5 wines to taste. Each person will score those 5 wines; 1 being their favorite and 5 being their least favorite.At the end of the wine tasting, collect the scorecards and determine which wines are the party favorites in the wine category (reds, whites, desserts).Lastly, to keep things simple, offer your guests meat, cheese, fruit and nut platters that complement your wine choices. This is a very important step in hosting a wine tasting party. You do not want your food choices to conflict with the wines you have chosen.Hosting a wine tasting party at home is fun especially if you take the time to pick out some quality wines and pair those wines with good food. Your guests will appreciate the special care given when planning this type of party.
Sydney
O.k., o.k, so you want to “hold your own” vs your wine snob friends when it comes to evaluating wine. Trust me, evaluating wine is not the “rocket science” that some of your connoisseur buddies would lead you to believe. However, learning some basic terminology and understanding wine characteristics will help you in knowing how to describe the wines you drink. Let’s start with appearance, color, aroma and bouquet. Wine should not appear dull or murky. Nor, should it be cloudy. A clear wine should not be flashing with light reflections.When it comes to colors, white wine should have shades of yellow, gold or straw.Beaware of white wines with an amber tone, as this is an indicator ofoxidation. A Rose can be a true pink, although sometimes it is accented with deeper reds or oranges. Stay away from brown tints of amber or violet.The variety of grapes used determines the color of red wines.Cabernet and Merlot may be deep red. Younger wines typically have purple edges, while mature wines will have bronze accents. The term aroma applies to younger wines. This is simple, what does the wine smell like? Typically, you’ll detect fruit and grape odors. It may take some practice for you to detect subtle differences. As a wine matures, it develops a fragrance when it comes in contact with the air. This fragrance is called the wine’s bouquet. If your wine smells almost like vinegar, it ranks very low in volatile acidity. When you swish wine around in your mouth and it is refreshing, almost giving you a little “zing,”the total acidity is probably just right. A wine with a flat, almost “soapy” flavor is too low in acidity. Sharp, or sour tasting wines are generally too high in acidity. Some wines are supposed to be sweet, other wines are supposed to be dry. If the wine you are evaluating has a sweetness to it when it should be dry, watch out! And of course, if the wine is dry when it should be sweet, be equally concerned. These are indicators that the wine’s sugar content is unsatisfactory. The term “flavor” has to do with how well the taste and the aroma of the wine work together. The “body” of a wine is probably the most subjective term used in evaluating wine. Words like “density,” “richness,”fullness,” etc. are all used to describe a wine’s body. The type and age of the wine will largely influence the description of it’s body. Light, dry wines will typically have a lighter body, while Burgundies and young Zinandels will be more full bodied. As some wines mature, they may transition from full bodied to softer bodied. The only way to determine what “body” means to you is to taste many wines. Aftertaste is a term that describes the taste of the wine in your mouth after you swallow it. Quality, mature wines have a lingering, clean, smooth aftertaste. Young wines typically are high in acidity due to excess tannin, and can leave an undesirable aftertaste.So, now you’re equipped with some basic terminology used in evaluating wine. However, when all is said and “tasted”, the key point in evaluating wine is simply whether or not you enjoyed it!
Rebekah
There are several myths that make good wine trivia. These myths and truths are a great way to quiz your wine loving friends and give them and yourself and education at the same time. Here are the top ten wine myths revealed.
1. Aged Wine is Better than Young Wine
Not all wines require aging. In fact, many wines are intended to be drunk young and they do not require aging. Typically, red wines that have high tannins are the only wines that require aging. There are also some white wines that will benefit from aging, such as Rieslings, but in general they are intended to be drunk young as well. There are also those wines that taste worse after being aged and those that will not change much at all.
2. Red Wine Should Never Be Chilled
There are some light reds such as the Beaujolais that will benefit from being chilled. Beaujolais Nouveau is the first wine that is made from each year’s harvest. The wine was originally made for the workers of the winery, but the wine quickly spread in popularity to local bistros. There are several festivals that are held around the world that celebrate the wine’s release.
3. “Reserve” Wines Are Top of the Line
On American labels, “reserve” has no true meaning and is used at the discretion of the winemaker. The term is often used to designate a special wine, although the reputation of the vineyard will often have an effect on the quality and price of the wine.
4. Wines With Sulfates Will Give You a Headache
Sulfates only cause headaches in about one percent of the population and this tends to be those who suffer from asthma. Sulfates are naturally present in wine and sulfur is abundant in various forms in all living things. Sulfites are used as a preservative by winemakers worldwide and only the United States notes the sulfite warning on the label. The amounts of added sulfites are small and all whites will have more than reds.
There are several other reasons that you may be having a headache. These causes may be:
Histamines: Histamines cause the blood vessels in your brain to dilate and are higher in red wines than whites. They are found in aged and fermented foods.
Tyramines: Found in cultured foods such as cheese and yogurt as well as ferment foods such as wine, dark beer, soy sauce, chocolate and a few other foods. Tyramines cause your blood vessels to constrict.
Congeners: These are organic compounds that are found in the by-products of the fermentation process and give wine its flavor. When they enter your blood stream, the immune system recognizes them as poisons and releases cytokines to eliminate them. These are more prevalent in red wines.
Prostaglandins: These are naturally occurring in your body and are pain producers. The dilation of the arteries triggers their release. They may also be responsible for migraine headaches.
Sensitivities to Elements in Wine Production: Some people are sensitive to certain types of wood while other are sensitive to the chemicals that are used in a particular area.
5. All German Wines Are Sweet
There are a variety of German wines and they range from dry to very sweet like wines that are produced in various other countries. If you see “trocken” on a German wine label it means “dry.”
6. Screw tops Are a Sign of Cheap Wine
More and more wineries are using screw tops so that they may avoid cork contamination of their wines. Don’t be surprised if you find a high dollar bottle with a screw top.
7. Wines Should Always Breathe
Allowing a wine to breathe is generally only necessary for those wines that need further aging. Breathing also allows the wine to be exposed to air and to soften the tannins.
8. All Wines Have the Same Amount of Alcohol
The level of alcohol in a wine depends on the amount of sugar that has been converted during fermentation. There are also wines that have been fortified with alcohol to raise the alcohol content.
9. The More a Wine Costs, the Better It Is
The price of a wine depends on numerous factors. The land of the vineyard, the price of the packaging, the types of grapes that are used, how the wine is aged and the reputation of the winery or winemaker all have an effect on the price of a bottle of wine. You may find a fairly expensive bottle of wine and think that it will be good when in fact you wish you hadn’t spent so much on it.
10. Zinfandel is a Pink Wine
Zinfandel is actually a red grape, but the name has become very popular due to the blush wine, the White Zinfandel. There are several good red Zinfandels.
Makenna
Throughout history wine has been very popular. In many different places throughout the world there have been many types of wines created over the years. Some of the most well liked wines are the white wine, red wine, the table wine, as well as the sparkling wine and the cooking wine. Within these various wine groups there are also are sub types to them. Nevertheless, because these different elements are so numerous and varied to mention and may simply confuse the beginner; we will go into the four most popular kinds of wines.The White and Red WinesIn terms of the popularity of wines, the red wine as well as the white wine are constantly on the top of the rankings. Numerous individuals throughout the world enjoy drinking these kinds of wines during as well as after having dinner. In the majority of European nations, it is very common for the people there to drink red and white wines. As a matter of fact, numerous Europeans would not think of their meal as complete if they don’t have a glass of wine.The question often arises of; what determines a wines color? The answer is quite simple; the absence or the presence of the skin on the grapes determines a wines color. To produce white wine the skin of the grape is removed prior to extracting the juice. On the other hand, the production of red wine happens by allowing the red skin or the grapes to come into contact with the juice while the fermentation process is happening. Because the majority of the flavor is concentrated on it’s skin, it is typical for red wine to have a stronger flavor in comparison to white wine. Because white wine has a flavor that is light it usually goes well with meals that are subtly flavored as well as meals that are light. In contrast red wine is more ideally suited for meals with a stronger flavor.The Sparkling WineAn additional type of wine that is popular is the sparkling wine. Sparkling wines have a higher level of carbon dioxide which is manifested in it’s bubbly consistency. There are some wines that have much lesser amounts of carbon dioxide which is in direct contrast to sparkling wines that are purposely injected with carbon dioxide during the process of fermentation to give it a fizzing effect when consumed. Numerous people refer to the sparkling wine as champagne style wines. Because this kind of wine fizzle is very much like there champagne counterpart, numerous people choose to use this kind of wine in place of champagne during times of celebrations.The Table WineAnother kind of wine is the table wine which has become very popular over the years. In this type of wine there is a greater content of alcohol compared to other kinds of wines. In the USA, the level of alcohol content of table wine if just within the 8.5% and the 14.5% content range. However, in the regions of Europe, table wines typically contain more than 14% alcohol.
Lyla
Even though many just assume that wine tasting is sipping, swishing, and swallowing - many are amazed to find that it’s actually a bit more. Wine tasting is more of an art, an art that is used to distinguish the taste of fine wines. Wine can be a tasty and refreshing drink - if the bottle was stored correctly and aged properly.Wine tasting begins with the swishing. The reason why wine tasters swish the wine around in their mouths is to get the taste. Both the front and the back areas of the tongue contain taste buds, although neither one has any distinct sensation in taste. Taste buds can detect food and liquid that is bitter, salty or sweet, without a problem. To get the proper taste from wine however, you need to swish it around in your mouth and allow your taste buds and sense of smell to bring out the unique and fine flavors in the wine.When you have a cold however, the wine can taste very different. When tasting your wine, your sense of smell has a major impact on the taste. What many fail to realize, is that over 75% of our taste is due to our sense of smell. When we have a cold, our sense of smell is affected. Therefore, when eating or tasting wine with a cold, the taste will appear different. Wine tasters all over the world will tell you that tasting wine is more about a sense of smell than the actual taste buds.The art of wine tasting is indeed an art. Wine tasters do however, follow some general guidelines and rules that judge how great a wine is. These techniques can help you bring the most out of your wine, providing you follow them and know how to bring out the taste.The first thing to do with wine is to look. With wine, you can tell quite a bit about it by looking at it. You should always start by pouring the wine into a clear glass, then taking a few minutes to look at the color. As far as the color goes, white whines aren’t white, but actually yellow, green, or brown. Red wines on the other hand are normally a pale red or dark brown color. Red wine gets better with age, while white whines get more stale with age.Next, is the smell of the wine, which you should do in two steps. You should start with a brief smell to get a general idea of the wine, then take a deep, long smell. This deeper smell should allow you take the flavor of the wine in. The more experienced wine tasters prefer to sit back a bit and think about the smell before they actually taste the wine. Last but not least, is to taste the wine. To properly taste the wine, you should first take a sip, swish it around in your mouth, and then swallow. Once you swish the wine around in your mouth, you’ll bring out the rich and bold flavors of the wine. After swallowing, you’ll be able to distinguish the after taste of the wine, and the overall flavor.Once you have looked at the wine, smelled it, and finally tasted it, you’ll be able to evaluate the wine from a taster’s standpoint. This is the easiest way to determine the quality of the wine, and whether or not it has been properly stored and aged. As with all things in life - the more you taste wine - the better you will get at distinguishing the unique flavors.
Layla
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
