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Party Menu 411

Don't freak out. Selecting the "right" wine is largely a matter of personal preference. But which wine to choose? Picking a wine to complement your food is not as complicated as you might think. You don't have to be a millionaire or an expert to choose the right wine, either. Just sit back, relax, and read on for information and tips on choosing the wine that's right for your meal, for your guests, and for you.

NOSE Your Wines!

Trust me…there's a great wine waiting for you to decant, savor, and enjoy. For starters, though, be aware that, when it comes to wine, it's not just about taste. The whole wine experience is very sensory oriented. Using sight and smell are important, too. It's all about the characteristics of wine - taste, aroma, and color.

You've heard that some like it hot, right? Well, that depends on where you live, what your background or cultural heritage is, and what kinds of foods you're used to eating. What's hot or spicy to me might be bland or mild to someone who's used to eating foods prepared with chili peppers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! The tongue has four areas, or zones, for each type of flavor: bitter, sour, salty, and sweet. These vary in degree and intensity from person to person, so while taste is important, it's the sense of smell, or the aroma, that is more telling. The sense of smell is far more acute and able to determine infinitely more variances in degrees of intensity - much more than the tongue.

Back to Basics: Red, White, or Blush?

Food and Wine go together like… a horse and carriage. Notice I didn't say horse and locomotive! You want the wine to complement your food, not overpower it. But how do you know? There are two schools of thought. One says, stick with the same "family" of tastes. You're serving berries, so go with a berry-flavored wine. The other says, vary the tastes to complement each other. Don't let one work harder than the other. If it's a lighter food, select a lighter wine. If it's a heavier food, select a darker wine. I say, if it tastes (and smells and looks) good to you, go for it!

But how do you know if you should go for a red or a white wine? Years ago, I learned a rule-of-thumb guide to wine selection: red meat goes with red wine, dairy foods and fish go with white. If you're looking for a quick, hard-and-fast rule, that's it. There are, of course, exceptions. Some lovely reds go with some sharper cheeses and some beautiful whites go with some meat (like poultry).

Basically, you want a wine that will bring out the best in the food you're serving. Strive for balance. Light wine, delicate foods. Dark wine, heavy foods.

Red wines generally complement strong cheeses, pasta in red sauces (tomato-based), and beef. Heavier meats, like beef or venison, go well with full-bodied wines, like Cabernet, Syrah, and Zinfandel. Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Petite Syrah complement the lighter meats, like lamb or pork, and tomato-based pastas. Chocolate is a unique food and is best complemented by a White Riesling, Cabernet, or Port. If you just want a nice, relaxing glass of wine by itself, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Cabernet are excellent choices. Most red wines require aging. Wineries won't release red wine for at least two years after it is produced. Cabernet, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel generally require a few more years in the bottle to allow the taste to develop.

White wines generally complement mild cheeses, seafood, pasta (in cream sauce), Asian food, poultry, pork, fruit & desserts. Chicken and fish can be overpowered by red wine, but go nicely with Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. Chardonnay, or spicy, fruity red Zinfandels complement non-meat dishes. Delicate fish and vegetarian dishes go great with any dry white blanc. With the exception of sweet dessert wines and champagne, white wines generally require little or no aging.

Blush or Rose wines are not really taken seriously by the experts. They're also somewhat sweeter. If you're enjoying a nice summer day (or night), you might want to try a White Zinfandel or light red Beaujolais.

Champagne is perfect for celebrating any special occasion. It's also nice when served with appetizers. Brut is the driest champagne and extra-dry is a little sweeter. Champagne is a sparkling wine that has been aged and actually comes from Champagne, France.

There are 5000 varieties of grapes grown throughout the world. Depending on how they're combined, there are that many more varieties of wines. The possibilities are endless. Here's a handy guide to the most commonly available wines.

Click here to read more about specific types of wine.

Drink Wine…for the Health of It!

So often we hear that drinking is bad for you. But according to recent findings, drinking wine, in moderation, can be one of the healthiest things you can do. (Yippee!)

For one thing, researchers have found that drinking wine actually reduces coronary heart disease. Why? Because it alters the blood lipid levels, which, in turn lowers the total cholesterol count and raises the high-density liproprotein (HDL) levels. In plain talk, it keeps the blood vessels clean. Similarly, wine also helps prevent strokes. By breaking up blood clots, it increases the HDL (good) cholesterol in the bloodstream and keeps the arteries clean.

According to a recent study, drinking wine prevents ulcers. The study compared non-drinkers to drinkers who consumed one glass of wine a day and found 7% fewer of the drinkers had ulcers. Comparing the non-drinkers to those who consumed two glasses of wine a day, there were 18% fewer ulcers in the drinking group. Those drinking three glasses per day exhibited one-third fewer incidences.

Wine has also been found to fight cancer. Red grapes have bioflavonoids which are antioxidants which help prevent cancer to begin with. The reservatrol found in wine helps suppress cancer. As a stress-fighter, wine relaxes cancer patients and this in turn helps fight the disease.

The soothing and calming effect of wine enables the body to relax and unwind, thus also contributing to good mental health, by transitioning from a work to relaxed "play" demeanor.

Migraines? You'd be better off staying away from the red wines, as they have too many tannins (acid), but the natural sulfites found in white wines are actually good for you.

Speaking of good for you, what about the caloric content of wines? As you know, wine is made from grapes and yeast. It is then fermented, turning it into alcohol, and left to age and bottling. Legally, wine is generally limited to only 14% alcohol content. In a single 3.5 ounce glass of wine, there are 0.0 grams of saturated fat, 3 grams of carbohydrates, and only 80 calories. A 5 ounce glass has 100 calories, a 12 ounce wine spritzer has 120 calories, and a 12 ounce wine cooler has 215 calories.

Overall, if you drink one to three glasses of wine a day, you'll be healthier for it. So, lift your glasses and drink L'Chaim (to life)!

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