Dining with Wine is without a doubt one of the joys of life. As children growing up, we watch our parents and their friends with their glasses of red and white at the dinner table and look forward to the time when we too can partake of this adult experience. In some countries, this experience starts sooner rather than later, even in the early years of childhood. Consequently, dining with wine for the first time does not signify an entry into adulthood but rather a right of passage to a new form of culinary experience. Our age at the time (and our mental disposition) dictate whether we will truly appreciate the experience that dining with wine brings to our pallette.

The first thing that dining with wine and so many other topics brings to mind is that there are no hard and fast rules, only tried and tested guidelines. If you want to do something different, then you can and you probably should. If nothing else, it will show you why the guideline came into being in the first place.

1. Time of Day - Perhaps the first consideration here, is the time of day. As tradition goes, we are expected to choose a lighter wine in the earlier part of the day (with brunch or lunch) than we would if choosing for the latter time-frame (evening meal, dinner or supper). Therefore, in most circles, light whites such as Sauvignon Blanc and light reds such as Rosè and Merlot are very well suited for the middle of the day while the beefier varietals such as Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are expected to be seen later in the day or evening. There are very valid reasons for this age old guideline, not the least of which is that the lighter wines are also usually lighter in alcoholic content and therefore more suited to earlier consumption. So always consider the time of the day when dining with wine but also be mindful of type of food that you are planning to eat.
2. Type of Food - The next consideration when dining with wine is what type of food are you eating. We have all heard the Traditional guidelines that tell us that you should accompany red meats with red wine and white meats and seafood with white wine. This guideline works well but should not be considered rigid. Today, we are eating exotic foods that are not clearly defined as red meat, white meat or seafood and are often shades of pink or off-white. Additionally, there is also that complete range of non-meat and vegetarian meals that still can taste even better with a glass of wine. When dining with wine, there is little doubt that a robust shiraz will blend magnificently with a porterhouse steak and a fine Chardonnay will be perfect with that lobster, but remember that it is you and your family or guests are eating the meal and you should choose accordingly, considering everyone's likes and dislikes as well..
3. Likes and Dislikes - When dining with wine, it really helps to have some knowledge of your company's likes and dislikes with regard to wine just as you would the food that you offer. Where possible, it is advisable to gain this knowledge in advance so that you are prepared. There is nothing worse than to find yourself trying to enjoy a glass of sweet white wine when you only drink heavy, dry reds or visa-versa. After all, you want everyone at the table, no matter where the location, to enjoy all aspects of their dining experience including the wine.
4. Location - It is comparatively easy to handle the wine selection if you are dining at home or at a very large function. However, it does become a little trickier when a couple or a small group get together at a restaurant where there is a good chance that very different types and forms of cuisine may be selected by each person. This is the time for compromise, when the standard guidelines may have no place. If the group at the table is not large enough to warrant a bottle of a couple of different appropriate wines, this could well be the time when either all the 'rules' are broken or when buying wine by the glass becomes a viable and intelligent alternative.
5. Champagne, of course, is a great at any time and with, or for that matter without, any meal.
6. 2BASNOB Wine Tasting Kit ...... Click Here!

1. Reds - When dining with wine of the standard red varietals, there are really three things to remember - sediment, breathing and temperature. Many red wines will develop sediment in the bottle during aging and cellar-ing or storage. If the wine has been cellar-ed correctly, the sediment will be along one side of the bottle. Handle the bottle in a manner so as to avoid stirring up the sediment. During the opening and serving of the wine, simply allow the sediment to find its way to the bottom or stay where it is. Red wine greatly benefits from being allowed to breathe before being consumed. This is accomplished by removing the cork and allowing the bottle to stand for a period of 15 to 30 minutes before serving. Allowing the wine to breathe will oxygenation of the wine, thus enhancing the flavor and aroma. Be sure not to open the wine too far in advance of serving. The vintage of the wine will have a lot to do with the possibility of sediment as will the processing method used by the winery. Red wines are best served at "room temperature". What is room temperature? Room temperature is considered to be around 68°F (20°C). More definitive serving temperatures will be found on our Best Served At chart. Excessive variation from this, especially above these temperatures, will change the wine and the experience. In hot climates, you may want to stand the bottle on a cooler surface such as a slab of marble. If you are in an outdoors setting such as a barbeque or picnic, be sure not to leave the wine in the sun. Red wines are not meant to be served chilled or with ice either.
2. Whites - Dining with wine, white wine that is, is considered by many to be somewhat less demanding. As we read in our discussion of 'storage', white wines are more tolerant of cooler temperatures than reds. In fact, white wine is best served chilled; that is chilled, not frozen or near to it. It is always best to slowly cool the white wine rather than using some kind of harsh quick method, such as placing it in the freezer for 30 minutes or using one of those modern electronic devices. Always serve your white wine from an ice bucket, cooler or cooling shroud. White wine also is enhanced by being allowed to breathe. However, in the main, this can be allowed to happen in the glass. Whatever you do, be sure to keep your white wine chilled or "on ice" until it has been consumed. Once again, more definitive serving temperatures will be found on our Best Served At chart.
3. Champagne - Champagne should always be treated like any other white wine. Dining with wine takes on a whole new level of enjoyment when it embodies a bottle of one of the world's fine champagne styled wines. The champagne should always be chilled, opened with grace and caution (point the bottle away from people) and served immediately. Maintain it in an ice bucket until it has all been consumed.
4. Other Styles - Other wines such as rosè and light whites can be enjoyed either at room temperature or chilled. Depending on the circumstance, you may even choose to serve them iced. As these are often also considered luncheon wines, you may find yourself mxing them with sparkling mineral water to create a spritzer. As a rule of them here, keep the wine at the same temperature that it was when you opened it.

1. In a Restaurant - If you are dining at a restaurant, you will need to discover the local policy of the restaurant, town and state before attempting to walk out with the remainder of your wine. You might also simply ask the waiter, "Is it acceptable for me to take the bottle with me?" They will know the rules. If you do take it with you, remember that you have been dining with wine and therefore it has been opened for a while at the table and probably has been fully oxygenated so be sure to drink it without much delay - you can use your imagination here. If you are unable to take the remaining wine with you, then consider your options - stay a little longer and enjoy it or offer it to the staff
2. At home - If you are dining with wine at home, then you have other options available to you. for instance, you may know before you open the bottle that it will not all be consumed in this sitting. In such a case, you might elect to use a vacuum stopper immediately after opening and after pouring each glass. These devices remove the air from the bottle and will preserve the wine well for several days. We highly recommend that you keep a couple of vacuum-stoppers on hand at all times. You will find them in our store. You can always re-cork the bottle but you will need to drink it without delay. You may also choose to re-cork the bottle and use the wine in the kitchen over the next day or two. As a rule of thumb, there really is no reason for left-over wine to be wasted.

In the Kitchen - As we said in the beginning, dining with wine also includes the idea of cooking with wine. Why do we say this? Well if you think about it, if you use wine in your cooking, it is going to become part of the meal that you are offering; it is going to be consumed with everything else. Many of the European cultures and cuisines have indulged wine as a compliment to their cooking for centuries. Wine will often be used in or as a marinade before cooking or as an integral ingredient during the cooking process of the meal of a sauce. It is very important when cooking with wine that the choice of wine compliments the ingredients rather than over-powering them or clashing with them thus creating an unsavory result.

Prime Black Angus Steaks, and more

Most of the guidelines that we have discussed above are just as valid when cooking with wine. You will often here people refer to a certain wine as being a good cooking wine or they might suggest that the wine is not much good for drinking but would be great for cooking. Neither of these statements are particularly correct. The quality of the wine that you choose will show through in the taste and flavor of the meal just as it would when drunk. The only way of masking this is to use other herbs and spices in large enough quantities. Cinnamon is one such spice that is often used in excess. You will find books of excellent cooking with wine recipes in our store as well as tried and true favorites from all corners of the globe in our section Cooking with Wine