Top Tips on Wine

Old conventions have recently been overturned, these days it is very much a case of have what you like, with what you like! It is thought by experts, however, that claret goes best with light flavoured meat, Burgundy with stronger flavoured meat and a white wine is the best accompaniment for fish.

Ten tips for wine newbies

Don't fill your cellar with the wines you like at the moment.

For this reason, buy experimental bottles in preference to full cases.

Attend as many tastings as you can. Taste and learn. But remember to spit!

Remember to take the opinions and advice of wine 'experts' with a pinch of salt.

Don't fall into the trap of exclusively seeking out highly-rated or expensive wines.

Get good advice on what to try, either from a merchant who you trust, or from a critic whose palate seems to match with yours.

Keep notes on all the wines you try.

Read as much as you can.

If you get the chance, visit some wine country.

Finally, join an online wine discussion forum.

Via wineanorak

Tips about wine

To decide how many bottles you'll need for a dinner, a rule of thumb is a standard bottle is generally ample for three people and a half-bottle for two.
A dry wine always precedes a sweet one as the sweet taste will linger. Sweet wines should be served with deserts.
White and Rose wines should be served chilled but don't uncork them until you are ready to serve, unless time is short. It will also cool quicker if placed in a container which has 1/3 ice cubes and 1/3 cold water as this allows the bottle to sink into the ice cubes rather than balance on top.
If a guest brings wine it may be worth asking if they would like it opened immediately or would they rather have it at their next visit. A good wine should be allowed to rest for 24hours after travelling otherwise it won't be at its best.

Via hintsandthings.co.uk

Pairing Wines with Foods

Flavor Interactions You are only able to detect four distinct flavors with your tongue: sweet, sour, salty and bitter; while your nose is able to decipher over 200 different aromas.

Heavy vs. Light Next, consider whether a dish is “heavy” or “light” in nature, the difference between a meal consisting of steak and potatoes or one that tends toward a chicken and vegetable stir-fry.

Other Factors to Consider Other factors to take into account when looking at pairing potentials is the foods acidity.

Via wine.about.com