WINE 101

-TASTING WINE

-FOOD BASICS

-WINE & FOOD

-PARTY TIPS
 

AN INTRODUCTION

Does anyone really need to learn how to taste wine? Surely, you just pick up the glass, take a sip, swallow and enjoy the taste, right? Well, yes and no...
 

TASTING WINE - in five easy steps

*Pour, *Smell, *Swirl, *Sip, *Savor

So you want to be a wine expert? It takes years of training, study, tasting and practice to become a master sommelier, but you don’t have to work that hard just to get more pleasure from a glass of wine. A few simple steps will help heighten your senses and get the most enjoyment from every sip:

Pour:
It might seem natural to fill a glass with wine the way we do with other beverages, but that robs us a chance to appreciate the aromas and color. In reality, the perfect pour (usually about 4 to 5 ounces of table wine) leaves about twice as much open space as there is wine. This allows the wine to breathe and reach its full flavor potential. Now you also know why the best wine glasses are a lot bigger than you might think they need to be!

Smell, swirl, repeat:
Now that you have the perfect amount of wine in your glass, give it a swirl or two. This ‘aerates’ the wine and helps release its aromas. Next, bring the glass to your nose and take a deep ‘sniff’; your sense of smell is the most receptive with the first try, so take a moment and identify the aromas in the wine. Your mind will catalogue the aromas, which has more to do with our perception of flavor than our sense of taste. Forget about smelling the cork – the wine is much more fun, and besides, it will probably just smell like a cork soaked in wine.

Sip:
Good wine grabs your taste buds from the first sip. Now that it’s captured your attention, the body of the wine picks up where the first taste stops. The body can be light, medium or full, depending on the varietal (type of wine grape or grapes used), origin, and style; in other words, what the winemaker did to bring out his idea of the best attributes of the wine.

Savor:
Wine, especially red wine, is a very complex beverage, so take a moment before you swallow to let the wine fill your mouth. Pucker your lips and inhale to bring more air through your mouth and carry the aromas and flavors to the back of your throat; let your taste buds search for flavors and textures. Sometimes the difference between just drinking wine and truly enjoying it is just that brief moment when we let ourselves become aware of what’s in our glass and how it’s affecting our palate.

After each taste, take a moment to recall your impressions of the wine, its specific features, and file these away in your ‘taste memory.’ As this taste memory grows, so will your ability to evaluate and enjoy wine.

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FOOD BASICS

If you’d like some rules of thumb to help you sort out the best ways to match wines and foods, here are two that have stood the test of time:

Rule One: Drink red wine with meat, white wine with fish and poultry.
Rule Two: Forget about Rule One and match any food with any wine you wish; when it comes to personal preferences, there are no rights and wrongs!

Of course, there are some classic matches that satisfy again and again and bring out the best in both wine and food, as listed below in these widely available dishes and ingredients. These matches all refer to “table wines”, a broad category that includes most of the wines sold around the world – still wines (not sparkling or bubbly), with alcohol contents usually ranging between 11% and 14% alcohol:

One caveat: Sauces can change everything.
 

APPETIZERS & STARTERS
*ANTIPASTO - Pinot Grigio, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Malbec
*ASPARAGUS - Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc
*CARPACCIO (beef) - Pinotage, Shiraz, Shiraz/Pinotage blend, Malbec
*CARPACCIO (tuna) - Sauvignon Blanc
*CAVIAR - Chenin Blanc
*COLD MEATS - Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
*NUTS AND/OR OLIVES - Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
*OYSTERS (raw) - Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc
*PASTA SALAD - Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc
*PASTA WITH CREAM SAUCE - Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc
*PASTA WITH SHELLFISH - Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
*PASTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz
*PASTA WITH VEGETABLES - Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinotage, Malbec
*PATÉS - Chenin Blanc, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
*QUICHE - Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinotage Rosé, Merlot
*SCALLOPS - Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio
*SMOKED FISH (Trout, Herring) - Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc
 
SEAFOOD
*CRAB - Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio
*LOBSTER - Chardonnay, Chardonnay/Sauvignon blend, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc
*MUSSELS - Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc
*RED SNAPPER - Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio
*SALMON - Pinotage Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio
*SASHIMI, SUSHI - Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio
*SHRIMP - Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio
*STRIPED BASS - Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc
*SWORDFISH - Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage, Pinot Grigio
*TUNA - Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage, Merlot, Shiraz, Chardonnay
*OTHER WHITE FISH - Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc

MEAT & POULTRY
*CHICKEN - Chardonnay, Merlot, Chenin Blanc, Pinotage
*CHICKEN SALAD - Chenin Blanc, Pinotage Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio
*CHICKEN (smoked) - Pinotage, Merlot, Malbec
*DUCK - Pinotage, Merlot, Pinotage Rosé, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Malbec
*HAM - Shiraz, Merlot, Pinotage, Malbec, Pinotage Rosé
*HAMBURGER - Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Shiraz, Malbec
*LAMB (grilled, broiled) - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage
*PHEASANT - Pinotage, Shiraz, Malbec
*QUAIL - Pinotage, Malbec
*RABBIT - Pinotage, Merlot, Shiraz, Malbec
*SAUSAGE - Chenin Blanc, Pinotage Rosé, Shiraz, Merlot, Malbec
*STEAK (grilled, broiled) - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage, Shiraz, Malbec
*TURKEY - Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinotage Rosé
*VEAL - Chardonnay, Merlot
*VENISON - Shiraz, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec
*COUSCOUS - Merlot, Shiraz, Pinotage Rosé
*CURRY, FISH or CHICKEN - Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage Rosé
*PIZZA - Merlot, Pinotage Rosé, Pinotage, Chenin Blanc, Malbec
*SPICY CHINESE - Savignon Blanc, Pino Grigio, Merlot, Pinotage Rosé
*SPICY MEXICAN - Chenin Blanc, Shiraz, Malbec
*THAI - Chenin Blanc, Pinotage, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio

CHEESES
*GOAT - SOFT: Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage
            - HARD: Pinotage, Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon

*COW & SHEEP - MEDIUM: Pinotage, Shiraz
                          - HARD: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chenin Blanc, Pinotage, Sauvignon Blanc

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WINE & FOOD

Matching the right wine with the right food will make both more enjoyable, and the taste of one will affect the way we perceive the taste of the other. Remember that just four basic taste components (salty, sweet, bitter and sour) determine what we taste.

Generally, wines and foods belonging to the same culture are compatible; for example, think Italian wines with Italian food.

Good red wines tend to be dry and rich, sometimes with a tart or astringent quality. They go well with hearty or highly seasoned foods such as beef, pork, game, duck, goose and pasta dishes. The ‘red with red’ rule works well with beef because the tannin in red wine “scrubs” the rich beef flavors off the palate. Reach for a tannic Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Petite Syrah or Zinfandel, especially if the meat is served with a heavy sauce. Rare prime rib tastes almost sweet, so it’s perfect with a lighter bodied Merlot or Beaujolais.

White wines are usually lighter in body and flavor and can range from dry and crisp to sweet and fragrant. Serve these wines with foods such as chicken, turkey, fish, shellfish, ham and veal. Frequently served with appetizers or as a cocktail before a meal, white wines can also include dry (white) vermouth or dry sherry. Pair a honey or brown sugar glazed ham with a white wine that’s not too dry – a Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer or Riesling.

Rosé wines are in fact pale red wines; their lighter color is due to the shorter time the skins are left with the juice during fermentation. Rosé, or blush, wines can range from dry to sweet. These wines compliment ham, fried chicken, shellfish, cold beef and picnic foods.

Holiday menus can create a special challenge with their wide range of side dishes and flavors. If you serve turkey with sweet side dishes like glazed carrots or sweet potatoes, choose a white wine with a hint of sweetness, like Chenin Blanc, Riesling or Gewurztraminer. If some dishes have a more savory flavor, try Sauvignon Blanc or a lighter bodied Chardonnay. For a bird with spicy sausage stuffing, serve Pinotage or a lightly chilled Pinot Noir.

Dessert, or fortified wines, are heavier and sweeter than table wines and frequently have a higher alcohol content. They are usually served alone or with cheese, nuts, fruit or sweets at the end of the meal.

Non-alcoholic wines are also available. They are created using the usual fermentation methods followed by a special process to remove all but a trace of alcohol. Use the guidelines listed above to pair them with foods according to the wine type.

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PREPARE FOR A PARTY - quick tips

Beverage serving sizes: When planning an event, the average consumption rate per person is one drink every 45 minutes. If the event will last 2 hours, plan on three drinks per person.

Wine & Champagne ( 1 serving = 5 oz.) 
          -750ml - 5 servings
          -1.5L - 10 servings 
          -1 case - 60 servings 

Spirits (1 serving = 1.5 oz.)
          -750ml - 16 servings
          -1L - 22 servings
          -1.75L - 39 servings

Beer (1 serving = 16 oz. glass)
          -5.00 gallons - 40 servings
          -7.75 gallons - 62 servings
          -13.2 gallons - 105 servings

How to calculate for the number of guests attending: Start with your best guess of the drinking habits of your guests. Divide the number of guests between the types of beverages you plan to serve. For example, if you choose to offer only wine, beer & alcohol-free beverages. By using the Beverage serving sizes as listed above, figure the number of servings for each category, calculating one drink every 45 minutes, or three drinks every 2 hours.

Example: (50 guests for a 2 hour event)
-30 guests will drink wine x 3 drinks = 90 servings
-10 guests will drink beer x 3 drinks = 30 servings
-10 guests will drink alc.-free x 3 drinks = 30 servings

In the example you would need:
-Wine = 1.5 cases = 90 servings (each case contains 12-750ml bottles)
-Beer = 5 six-packs = 30 servings
-Alcohol-free = 6-750ml bottles of alcohol-free wine = 30 servings

It may be an idea to overestimate an equal division of all categories to ensure you don't run out.

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