t you've never tasted before. While this can be fun and exciting, if you are going out to a dinner where you must impress, it can be a little daunting.
Here are some simple tips for selecting a good wine at a good restaurant. Whether you want to impress your friends or a new love interest, or you have an important business dinner, this information will help pick the right wine to complement your food.
Reds and Whites and Food
The most basic thing to know about choosing the right wine for dinner is that red wines are for meats, and white wines are for fish and poultry. Here's why: The idea is for the wine to enhance the flavors of the food. Red wine has a stronger flavor than white and pairs well with the stronger flavors of meats. Red wine also has more tannins, or organic compounds that can have a stronger or weaker flavor depending on a number of things, including how well the wine has been allowed to breathe and how well it was stored. The tannins in red wine complement the meat flavors very well, especially if there are rich sauces.
Pinot Noirs are a good choice for meat dishes. They have the reputation of being "food-friendly", which is a nice term to toss in while you are talking to your companions about how you are considering your choices.
White wines, on the other hand, have a lighter, crisper taste that may have a hint of acidity. This goes well with a fish dish that has a lemony sauce, for example. Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs are safe choices for fish and poultry dishes. The word to use is "sour", as a general rule of wine and food pairing is to serve white wines with foods that lean towards sour flavors.
Wine Presentation
The next most basic thing to know is that after you have chosen a bottle, you will be presented with a glass of the wine. This is known as "wine presentation", and depending on the restaurant, it could be more formal than your high school graduation. You may be asked to look at the cork -- this is to make sure the cork has no mold and is not cracked, which would affect the quality of the wine.
Next you should check the color of the wine (if it is older -- more than 5 years -- expect it to be a bit browner than a "younger" wine). People typically swish the wine around in the glass to see the color better. Next you want to smell the wine briefly. You are checking for any vinegar or rust smells. These would happen, again, from the wine being stored improperly. Finally, have a light taste. Taste the wine from the front and back of your tongue. Imagine how it would taste with the food you and others at the table want to order. If you like the match, it is a go. If not, tell your waiter your concerns and work with them to find something better.
What To Do If You Forget Everything Else
This has little to do with wine and food pairing, but it is an important idea for impressing people. You do not need to know everything to be impressive. Confidence and good manners are far more valuable than trying to show off your wine expertise. Besides, dining out is supposed to be a bit of an adventure.
It is perfectly acceptable at a high-quality restaurant to look to your waiter (and especially to a sommelier, or professional wine expert) and say "I bet you can make a more interesting choice than I can. What do you suggest?" Even at a business dinner, having the good sense to seek an expert's advice is hardly a bad habit to demonstrate.
Retrieved from "http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/how-to-order-wine-in-a-restaurant-for-beginners-1992344.html"
(
Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/how-to-order-wine-in-a-restaurant-for-beginners-1992344.html#ixzz0yAHliXeh
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
No comments:
Post a Comment