Imagine this, you’re out to dinner with a client and if things go well you’ll close a most important deal that could have a colossal effect on your career. Or you’re sitting across from the best looking, most interesting date you’ve had in awhile, hoping to close a different kind of deal. All of a sudden the waiter hands you a wine list. What do you do? Do you hand it back and say, “No thanks, none for me,” and risk appearing uncultured and ignorant? Or do you graciously accept, peruse the list, and in no time pick the bottle your table will enjoy?
After learning the wine basics explained in this article, you’ll embrace the latter and every dinner complete with wine will be a success.
Time to begin. Open the wine list and take a look. More than likely, you’ll have quite a selection from which to choose. After all, wine has been around for nearly 8000 years, hailing from the regions of Mesopotamia, Greece, and Egypt. Today wine is produced on every continent, except Antarctica, and annual worldwide consumption is around 3.4 liters per capita. If you do the math, you’ll agree that people do love their wine.
The leading producer of wine, with nearly 5.6 billion liters bottled a year, is France. Trailing France are Italy, Spain, the U.S., and Australia. You can guarantee that wines from these countries will be offered at most restaurants. If you’re with a trivia loving crowd, try sharing some of these facts as you look the wine list over, or you can simply ask who will be drinking wine and if the preference is for white or red.
Opting for a white or a red will often depend on what you’ll be eating; although, many wine lovers have cast out a dated belief—red goes with red meat, white with white meat and seafood—and just drink what tastes good to them. The rule of thumb, however, is that you don’t want the wine to overpower the food and vice versa. The same flavors and sensations detected in the wine should be also be found in the dish. (Note: it’s suggested that if you are dining with a larger group, you should order a bottle of both red and white to be sure you appease all guests.)
Now let’s get to selecting your wine.
Some popular reds:
Merlot (Mer-low) is very common among newbies to the wine world and is often considered to be one of the easiest reds to drink because it is low in tannins (what makes your mouth pucker). Merlot is very versatile as it can pair with most main dishes, although fruity and cream sauce based dishes should be avoided.
Pinot Noir (Pee-no nawar) is perhaps the most difficult grape to grow, but when done right makes an excellent, velvety, smooth, easy-to-drink red. Pinot Noir is best paired with fish and pastas with cream-based sauce.
Cabernet Sauvignon (Ka-ber-nay So-vee-nyon) has the most wide-range of flavors from black currant to chocolate to spice, is full-bodied, and high in tannins; thus, Cabernet Sauvignon pairs best with rich red meats and smoky, grilled meats and vegetables.
Zinfandel (pronounced how it looks) is a very popular California red wine. Zinfandel typically has hints of pepper, mild tannins, and a dry finish. Zinfandel pairs exceptionally well with barbequed meats, pasta with tomato-based sauce, spicy and/or highly seasoned foods.
Syrah (Sah-ra) or Shiraz (Shi-raz) offers lush, fruity flavors such as black cherry or black currant with hints of pepper. Flavors are intense but balanced with soft tannins. Pair a syrah or shiraz with hearty meat dishes prepared with herbs, garlic and/or mushrooms. It's also an excellent complement to barbequed poultry.
Some popular whites:
Chardonnay (Shar-doe-nay) is perhaps the most prevalently chosen white. Chardonnay has citrus and apple aromas; it can taste oaky and buttery and is best served with buttered seafood, poultry, and pasta with a cream-based sauce.
Chenin Blanc (Shen-in Blahnc) is typically sweet with flavors reminiscent of melon, lime, honey or pear. Chenin Blanc pairs well with seafood, rice and pasta dishes, and poultry.
Sauvignon Blanc (So-vee-nyon blahnc) is another very popular white wine. Crisp with an herby flavor and often displaying smoky qualities, Sauvignon Blanc is best when paired with poultry, pork, Asian dishes and hearty foods, such as stew.
Pinot Grigio (Pee-no Gree-zhee-o) exhibits ripe fruit flavors with floral and spicy notes. Pinot Grigio goes best with cream sauce, poultry seasoned with lemon or other citrus fruits, and spicy seafood.
Riesling (Rees-ling) is a very sweet and fruity white and is served best with salads, spicy cuisine, mild cheeses, shellfish, or alone as an aperitif.
Of course, there is a wealth of other varieties available that have not been mentioned here, but a little knowledge can go along way in enhancing a meal or making an impression. And if you’re still a little intimidated, don’t be shy about asking to taste a wine before you order a bottle. Happy dining and salut!
