"Wine 101" - How to Choose and Serve Wine (Column)

People love wine!

These simple tips will help shoppers in their selection.

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Ask the Home Economist

"Wine 101"

How to Choose and Serve Wine

Q.  Buying wine is so confusing!  I never know which one to buy.  Help!!  

 A.  I agree!

Wine is everywhere these days.  We celebrate with wine.  We relax with wine  We entertain with wine and give wine as gifts.  We cook with wine and can turn a ho-hum dinner into a fancy feast.  We luv wine! 

These tips will help.

 1.  Choose your sweetness

Wines are usually displayed in groups according to their sweetness so start there.  What do you like?  Sweet wine?  Not sweet (called dry)?  Go to that section.

2.  Check the bottom of the bottle

Choose a wine that comes in a concave bottom bottle. 

Concave bottom bottles are more expensive so they're used for better quality wines.  While good wines can come in flat bottom bottles, a concave bottle bottom is a good bet.

3.  Avoid French

Part of the fun of French wine is that it varies from year to year according to their weather but if you're not up on the best vintage years, stay clear.  Instead, opt for wine producing regions where the weather isn't so volatile like California, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.  

More tips......

4.  Red wine must breathe

5.  Serve white wine cold

6.  Skip the tacky

7.  Cooking with wine

8.  Red wine with meat - white wine with fish

9.  Ask someone!