Wine Tips

Tips for serving the perfect wine.

White and rose wines should be refrigerated just until chilled, for 1 to 2 hours.

Light red wines may be chilled only slightly.

Full-bodied red wines are always served at room temperature.

When figuring servings, allow one glass of wine per guest per hour. The average serving of dinner wine or champagne is 3 to 3 1/2 fluid ounces; of cocktail or dessert wine, 2 to 2 1/2 ounces.

What wines go with which dinner courses?

Sherry is usually the first wine offered at dinner, usually with a soup that contains sherry. A dry white wine is served with fish or with an entree to which it is complementary. Red wine is normally served with red meats, duck and game. At less formal dinners, a claret or light red wine may be drunk throughout the meal. When champagne is the only wine served, it is served as soon as the first course has begun and then throughout the meal. When other wines are included, champagne is served with the meat course.

Appetizers - Since the concept of appetizers is to tease and please the palate before a meal, dry or medium, light bodied acidic white wines are usually good choices because they have a refreshing quality that tends to stimulate one's appetite. The carbonation in a sparkling wine is great with many hor d'oeuvres.

Fish - Dry white wine (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc) usually pair best with seafood because the wine's crispness allows the food's subtler flavors to surface. Also, light bodied red wines with little tannin (Gamay Beaujolais) are delicious with firmer-fleshed fish, like Swordfish, that are grilled or prepared with tomato in the sauce.

Poultry - poultry and pork, depending on how they are prepared, their tastes, textures and appearances vary, as do the choices for a perfect wine match. Carefully consider the sauces to help you select the right wine, a white, blush or red may be appropriate.

Veal - the leanness and dedicated flavor of veal is complemented by lighter red wines, well aged red wines or dry white wines. Be careful to not overwhelm the flavor of the meat and consider the flavors in the sauce.

Beef/Lamb - are higher in fat and require wines with sufficient tannin to cut through the full flavor of the food. Fine cuts of meat pair wonderfully with complex or aged red wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot). Meats that are braised in tomatoes or are highly seasoned or marinated need an aggressive younger red (young Cabernet Sauvignon).

Ham - cured ham with wine takes careful matching of the contrast of the saltiness and sweetness of the meat. If the ham glaze is sweet, a fruity rose or blush (White Zinfandel) can be a nice match for both taste and color.

Recommended Food and Wine Pairings

Pastas:

Cannelloni - Chardonnay

Fettucine Alfredo - Frascati, Sauvignon Blanc

Fettucine Marinara - Gamay Beaujolais

Lasagna - Chianti, Cabernet Sauvignon

Linguine Clam Sauce - Soave, Chardonnay

Tortellini al Pesto - Pinto Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc

Spaghetti Primavera - Soave, Sauvignon Blanc

Seafood:

Fish, grilled or broiled - Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc

Fish, baked or sauted - Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc

Fish, blackened - Johannisberg Riesling

Fresh shellfish - Sauvignon Blanc, Johannisberg Riesling

Lobster Thermidor - Gamay Beaujolais, Zinfandel

Fried Catfish - Chardonnay

Baked Dover Sole - White Zinfandel

Salmon en Croute - Sauvignon Blanc

Salmon with Buerre Blanc - Chardonnay

Cioppino - Zinfandel, Gamay Geaujolais

Poultry:

Roasted Chicken - Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc

Barbecued Chicken - Gamay Beaujolais

Sweet and Sour Chicken - White Zinfandel, Johannisberg Riesling

Chicken with Brown Sauce - Chardonnay, Gamay Beaujolais

Roasted Duck/Orange Sauce - Zinfandel, Pinot Beaujolais

Chicken w/Cream Sauce - Chardonnay, Johannisberg Riesling

Beef:

New York Strip Steak - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Beef Stroganoff - Merlot, Pinot Noir

Beef Wellington - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Au Poivre (Pepper Steak) - Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel

Filet Mignon w/Bernaise - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Roast Prime Rib - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Tournedos of Beef - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Hamburger - Gamay Beaujolais

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