| Most people love to throw dinner parties for | | | | Fish and Seafood |
| their friends and family. But, they may | | | | |
| avoid serving wine because they do not know | | | | To be safe, stick with a dry, crisp white |
| exactly what to serve. Do you serve red or | | | | wine. Sauvignon Blanc goes well with white |
| white with fish? Will Merlot be okay if you | | | | fish while Sancerre and Muscadet go well with |
| are serving a Mexican dish? Do not stress | | | | oysters. If you want to be different, try a |
| over it - there are some basic wine rules you | | | | fruity red wine (without tannins). But, use |
| can follow. | | | | caution when serving red, especially if you |
| | | | are serving white, delicate fish. Cabernets |
| The number one rule of thumb when choosing | | | | with tannins combined with fish can leave a |
| wine is "red wine with red meat, white wine | | | | metallic taste in your mouth. |
| with white meat." This is not always true, | | | | |
| but it generally works quite well when you | | | | Poultry, Pork and Veal |
| are unsure. One exception is chicken. The | | | | |
| meat is white, but a nice fruity red wine | | | | For the most part, you want to follow the |
| goes well with it. The same can be said for | | | | "white meat, white wine" rule with these. |
| tuna or salmon, so you do not have to always | | | | White chardonnays and Pinot Blancs are great. |
| follow the rule of not serving red wine with | | | | If you want to serve red with chicken, |
| fish. The second rule is the rule of | | | | remember to choose a wine that is fruity like |
| complements. It is okay to match sweet | | | | a Merlot or Zinfandel. |
| seafood such as lobster with a sweet white | | | | |
| wine. The next rule is the opposites | | | | Turkey |
| attract. While you usually want to match | | | | |
| like flavors, sometimes a contrast, such as a | | | | Think back to Thanksgiving. Do you remember |
| White Bordeaux with bluefish can be | | | | how well your cranberry sauce went with the |
| wonderful. | | | | turkey? The same rule applies here. For |
| | | | turkey, since it has both white and dark |
| Outside of the basic rules, there are certain | | | | meat, you want something fruity and tart such |
| things you can look for and certain things | | | | as a Beaujolais for red or a Riesling for |
| you can avoid depending on what you are | | | | white. |
| serving. Here are some hints as to what to | | | | |
| serve with particular types of food. | | | | Spicy Foods |
| | | | |
| Salads and Appetizers | | | | If you are planning on service something |
| | | | spicy like Thai or Indian food, a sparkling |
| You should avoid serving wine during your | | | | wine works best. Avoid wines with tannins |
| salad, as vinegar and wine do not mix well. | | | | and look for something fruity. And, make |
| But, if you are having an appetizer, you need | | | | sure the wine is well chilled. Cold wine |
| to consider the ingredients in the appetizer | | | | goes well with spicy foods. |
| to help you choose your wine. If you are | | | | |
| having a cheese tray, the type of cheese will | | | | Dessert |
| help you determine the wine. For example, | | | | |
| cheddar is best with dry reds, Merlots, and | | | | The best thing to serve with a delicious |
| Cabernet Sauvignon. Pinot Noir goes best | | | | dessert is a dessert wine. In fact, you can |
| with Swiss. Camembert and brie are great | | | | skip the dessert part and just serve a |
| with a Chardonnay. The cheese we tend to | | | | dessert wine to your guests. These are sweet |
| think of as Italian such as parmigiano, | | | | wines often sold in smaller bottles as you |
| romano, and reggiano go well with Italian dry | | | | don't drink as much dessert wine as you do |
| red wines like Chianti and Barlol. If you | | | | regular wine. Wines such as Sauternes, |
| are serving something a fried appetizer, | | | | Beerenauslese, Bermet and Cammandaria will |
| consider serving a crisp, fruity white or red | | | | make a great end to any evening. |
| wine to help cut the oily flavor. | | | | |
| | | | The most important rule about what wine to |
| Beef, Steak and Lamb | | | | serve is to avoid being snobby about wine. |
| | | | There are no right answers, only basic rules |
| Do you remember the "red wine with red meat" | | | | to go by and even those, as you have seen, |
| rule? That one is great to use when serving | | | | can be changed. Do not be afraid to |
| beef, steak, and lamb. Choose a dry red wine | | | | experiment with different tastes. Chances |
| like Cabernet Sauvignon or a burgundy like | | | | are if you do not act like there is anything |
| Pinot Noir. You can also consider serving an | | | | wrong with the wine you are serving, your |
| Italian red such as Barolo or Chianti. | | | | guests will not either. |
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