A little wine is good for digestion and can attest to your highly evolved culinary skills. Therefore, it’s of great importance that you get all the crucial aspect of serving the wine correct.
If you’re keen to make a lasting impression on your dinner guest, you can’t go wrong by pairing your meal with a little wine. Not only does wine help food go down smoothly but it also gives the dining experience a touch of class and elegance. Your guests are likely to have the time of their life and remember the experience for a long time to come. Here are some pointers from a leading wine delivery service in the UK to help you turn each meal into a mouthwatering and enjoyable affair.
Get the temperature right
The worst possible mistake when serving dinner is to serve them warm wine. If you’re serving sparkling wine such as cava, champagne, prosecco, or cremant keep the bottle between 5-10 degree Celsius. Putting the bottle in the freezer for an hour lets you serve the wine ice-cold much to the delight of your guests. For white wines, such as Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, they’re best served at fridge cold temperatures, between 7-14 degrees Celsius.
For light red wines such as Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Grenache, serving temperatures should be between 17-21 degrees. For rich red wines such as Cabernet Sauv, Merlot, Chianti, and Bordeaux, the serving temperatures should be slightly cool – 17- 21 degrees. The serving temperature affects the flavors and aromas that you smell and taste, affecting the overall wine enjoyment.
Get the glasses right
If you’re a looking to impress your guests, you need to get the glasses right as well. Typically, there are two types of glasses – glasses and crystals. Traditionally, crystal glasses were infused with lead as it softened the making them easy to cut. It also increases the weight of the glass while also diffracting light. Crystal glass glassware gives a better wine experience because they control the temperature of the wine and accentuate the flavors and aromas.
However, the prohibitive cost of crystal glasses often makes them something of a rarity. When serving red wine be sure to use large glasses as they allow you to detect the aroma whenever you sip the wine. Since white wines are served cold, the bowl on these glasses is more U-shaped and upright to enable the release of fragrances at cooler temperatures. Sparkling wines are served in narrow and vertical flutes to retain carbonation and preserve the beautiful bubbles for a long time.
Pair the food just right
Once you have the presentation handled, then its time mind the pairing as there’s a delicate art to it. Fortunately, there are nine simple rules to help you come off like an expert:
- Wine should be sweeter than the foods.
- Ensure that the wine is more acidic than the food.
- Ensure the food and the wine have the same flavor intensity.
- Pair red wine with red meats.
- Pair white wine with white meats such as fish and chicken.
- Balance bitter red wines with fat.
- It’s best to match the wine to the sauce rather than the meat.
- Rose, white, Sparkling wines are best for contrasting pairing
- Red wines are great for congruent pairings
Wine adds a touch of class and sophistication to a dining experience to leave your guest full and impressed. Therefore, it’s of great importance that you polish up on your wine knowledge. You want your guest to enjoy the dining experience and compliment your wine serving skills.
