What's New...
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- Selecting Wines
- It is now commonly agreed that not only may some wines accompany specific
foods, but each person is predisposed to appreciating some wines over
others. The old school dictated wine and food combinations. The
new school merely makes suggestions. Each individual is then
left to their own devises, even if they insist on selecting a white wine
when ordering roast beef.
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Some suggestions when selecting wine and ordering food may seemingly
contradict others. However, some basic guidelines may be counted on for
those venturing into new territory.
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- Try to strike a balance between strongs and delicates
. A full-bodied red may be considered a strong , as are many
preparations of red meats. A light white wine may be considered a deliate,
as are many preparations of fish. The key word here is preparations
. Grilling fish can place it, for some, closer to the strong
and delicate middle-ground.
- Do NOT be afraid to experiment. Select a wine that you like, in its
own right, then taste it with a veriety of meals. You will be suprised what
you may find enjoyable, particularly when ordering Asian cuisine.
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- Storing Wines
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Second only to selecting wines, the concerns related to storing wines
are often subject to heated debate. Practical considerations aside,
most wines that may be readily available in your region will taste best
and last the longest if:
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- the bottles are not exposed to direct sunlight
- the bottles are stored in a relatively cool environment
- the bottles are stored on their side, if they have corks
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Beyond that, the odds are that any given bottle of wine has been exposed
to its share of sub-optimal conditions, for short periods of time. The
older the bottle, the more likely it has been repeatedly exposed to its
share of sub-optimal conditions. Plains, trains, boats, and trucks inherently
move, and not always gently. There is no guarantee that any given bottle
of wine was transported at a near-optimal temperature. And finally, cases
of wine are not often stored on their side.
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All is not hopeless, though. You greatly improve the odds that a particular
bottle has been treated with all due respect by looking for wine bottled
and sold at the winery. The odds are in your favor (and the bottle's) that
each bottle has been exposed to a minimum of transportation-related damage.
It is also more likely that the bottles have never seen the inside of a cardboard
box, thus were properly stored on their side.
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- Serving Wines
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For some, the serving of a fine wine is the closet any of us will get to
the likes of the proverbial Japanese tea cerimony . Apart from
related food considerations (discussed in the Selecting Wines
section) there are, at minimum, three additional considerations:
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- Age - a cliche, but none-the-less true, serve no wine before its
time . A subject too delicate to be adequately covered here, suffice
it to say - there are differences of opinion. However, dry white wines
should be opened sooner than most dry red wines. Certain sweet white wines,
on the other hand, may be some of the longest lived. Each vintage within
each region will be ascribed characteristics pertaining to optimal
age. It never hurts to read an up-to-date book or magazine that reviews
wines you hold near and dear, or would like to. In a related battle, one
must allow the opened bottle of wine time to breath . Various and
assundry important chemical activities occur during this period of
time, drastically effecting the flavor of most wines. Most wines, though,
quickly run out of breath, and become flat or sour tasting, if left exposed
to the open air for extended periods of time (i.e. hours).
- Temperature - not as delicate a subject as age, in general and as it
relates to wine, temperature still can be a point of contention. The short
story, white wines and sparkling wines are chilled while red
wines and blends are served cool . No wine is served much above
65 degrees (F), without some loss of character, and few would welcome
a couple of ice-cubes in their glass.
- Glasses - Last but not least, stemware is an art as much as it is the
product of science, as it relates to wine and the serving there of. You
may be able to find any imaginable shape and volume of bowl and
length of stem . Everyone harbors their favorite drinking or
tasting glass(es), none-the-less there are some guidelines that seem
to make sense. The aromatic wines (mostly reds) may be best enjoyed when
there is a container for the aroma, hence larger glasses poured
half-full (or half-empty) seem to do the trick. Sparkling wines sparkle,
and what better way to enjoy the sparkle but when the sparkles have a long
way to travel, hence tall narrow glasses provide the path. Sweet wines
and many liquers are sipped, thus are often served in small quantities.
Two schools of thought seem to be holding their own (glasses, that is),
either huge or petit, not much in between.
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