Unless you are the ultimate wine snob, you probably are like most casual wine drinkers and don’t have a good grasp of what wines go best with different food items. Let’s be brutally honest (if you are like me), your knowledge of wines is basically limited to the color spectrum. There’s red and white (and those blush in-between colors)!
There are, however, some basic guidelines anyone can follow when choosing a wine based on the food menu. Here are some directions to follow when deciding on a wine that’s perfect for any entrée:
Chardonnay - If the menu involves fish as the main course, you might consider a silky white wine. This selection would especially be a good choice if the main course involved a fatty fish like salmon or a fish dish (like shrimp) served with a rich sauce. There are great Chardonnays from California, Chile or Australia that fit the bill.
Pinot Noir – If the menu calls for pizza, a red Pinot Noir is a perfect choice. In fact, this light-bodied wine complements any earthy flavored dish containing mushrooms or truffles.
Champagne – Are there lots of cheeses, nuts, and chips on the menu? If so, a perfect choice would be Champagne. This bubbly wine is a compliment to anything salty.
Cabernet Sauvignon/Bordeaux – Here’s a staple for meat-lovers everywhere. California Cabernet, Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style blends are perfect for steaks or chops—whether pork or lamb. It’s the tannins in these wines that refresh the palate after each bite of meat.
Sauvignon Blanc – Serving scallops with grapefruit/onion salad? Or, are there dishes with strong flavor, spiced with such trendy spices as cumin, harissa, Chinese five spice, or other heavy spices? If so, a Sauvignon Blanc from Portugal or Spain is a perfect choice.
Pinot Grigio – Mild-tasting dishes in the seafood line, like halibut, cod, flounder, or scallops and shrimp (with no sauce or only a light sauce) are best enjoyed with a Pinot Grigio from Italy or France.
Moscato d’Asti - Ahh! Deserts need a special wine compliment. If pies, cobblers or hot fruit compotes are on the menu, the perfect pairing is a sweet sparkling wine like Moscato d’Asti. It will emphasize the fruit in the dessert.
Riesling – Asian and Indian dishes are ever so popular now. And the perfect choice for taming the heat of spicy dishes like a Thai ground pork salad is a light and sweet wine like a Riesling.
If you have an invitation to attend a dinner party and know what’s on the menu, why not surprise the host with a gift of the perfect wine, enclosed in our wine gift box set.
Our Case Elegance Wine Gift box set is a memorable way to showcase any wine and make a real statement of appreciation that will be remembered long after the meal.
]]>The answer is YES!
There are really only four basic dilemmas faced in meeting any wine preference. Here are the most common wine-related dilemmas and our solutions for each:
Dilemma #1 - White versus Red
Solution: Rich rosé or light, chilled red.
What better way to compromise than to choose a rosé? Look for a richer rosé, which will have the flavor and intensity that red wine lovers prefer. Rosés from Spain and southern Italy will do well.
Dilemma #2 – Dry versus Sweet
Solution: A dry, but fruity white.
“Sweet” wine lovers often don’t actually want a wine with residual sugar; they really want a wine that is fruity with soft acidity. To match their taste to a drier compromise, choose a wine like California Sauvignon Blanc or blends from southern Portugal. They are big on fruit flavor, but still dry and refreshing.
Dilemma #3 – Oaky Chardonnay versus a clean Pinot Grigio
Solution: A rich white with fresh acidity & fruit.
The wines that will bridge the gap between rich, oaky flavor and a lighter, fresh flavor are the white wines that are rich in body, sometimes even with a bit of oak, but with fresh flavors and plenty of acidity. Dry Chenin Blanc or white Burgundy like Meursault are good choices.
Dilemma #4 – Light Red versus Heavy Red
Solution #1: A full-bodied red with high acidity.
When it comes to full-bodied versus light-bodied, it’s really a matter of acidity. You can find a wine that has the alcohol percentage of a heavy red but has a light-bodied flavor by choosing one with low acidity. Traditional Italian reds like Sagrantino are a perfect choice.
Solution #2: A full-bodied red with low tannin
Another solution for bridging the gap between light red versus heavy red is to choose a low-tannin red. Overly tannic wines often seem coarse and bitter for tastes that are used to lighter reds. Zinfandel and Merlot from California are excellent choices.
While we’re on the subject of wines, how about gifting your favorite wine to the host of the party? Our Wine gift box set is the perfect way to present your wine in a memorable way.
]]>You’ve been invited to a dinner party and you know you’re expected to bring a bottle of wine.
Don’t fret about it. Simple follow these 4 simple rules of etiquette to be sure your wine-bearing gesture is appreciated:
The fact that you are supplying a bottle of wine for the festivities doesn’t mean that the host is obligated to open it. Realize, he or she may already have other plans related to the wine that will be served. Perhaps, they too have spent some time thinking about a perfect wine what will pair well with the food they are serving. Your wine, while hopefully appreciated, may be resigned to their home collection for future enjoyment. The last thing you want to do is put pressure on the host to open your bottle.
How much you should spend on a bottle of wine is dependent on your host and the occasion. If your host is a real wine connoisseur and the event is being catered by the top caterer in the city, you probably want to invest in a really fine wine. In that case, have someone that is an expert in fine wines suggest what to buy (if you don’t already know). You may expect to spend upwards to $30 or more for a fine wine. On the other hand, if the occasion involves a meal of pizza and a movie, a $10-$20 bottle is respectable.
Finally, the most important consideration is how you present the gift of wine. Yes, standard practice is to simply pull the bottle from a paper bag and give it to the host. But, what if you really wanted to make the event special to show your true appreciation for their kindness in inviting you? How could you gift the wine in a way that would be memorable and truly uniquely appreciated?
At Case Elegance, we have the perfect solution! Present your wine bottle encased in our Wine Gift box set.
It’s made of REAL BAMBOO wood, guaranteed to make any friend, client or wine-loving dinner host oooh and ahh in amazement. Presenting the host your wine in our Wine Gift Box will make them always think of you as they prepare, share and save with the convenient foil cutter, decanter, wine key (corkscrew) and topper.
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There is a proper way to hold the wine glass
Most wine glasses have a stem for a reason. It’s to avoid your body heat from transferring to the wine. So, don’t hold the wine glass at the bottom of the bowl. Instead, hold the glass by the stem. This also enables you to swirl the wine and open it up.
Serve the wine when it’s at the right temperature
Most of us think white wine needs to be served chilled. In reality, serving a white wine too cold locks down all of its flavors and aromas, leaving you with very little to taste and appreciate. Red wines, on the contrary, need to be chilled down slightly before serving. serving it at room temperature often causes the wine’s alcohol flavors and aromas to dominate. Cooling it down slightly before serving prevents this.
You’re decanting it too long
Regardless of what you’ve read, you really only need to open a wine for about 30 minutes in the decanter before you start drinking. Enjoy it as the wine evolves.
You’re storing it wrong
While you will see wine sold standing up under bright lights, that’s not ideal. Lying your wine on its side in a cool, dark place is the best way to ensure it will last.
You are over-thinking it!
Forget the idea that you should understand the regions where the best grapes are grown or the ability to blind taste and pair with food.
Enjoying what’s in your glass at the moment is the most important part. Wine is about drinking it and enjoying it in the company of friends. And, when it comes to sharing a great bottle of wine as a gift, we’ve got you covered. After all, CaseElegance celebrates those wine enthusiasts who want to gift wine to a friend for family member in a most memorable way.
Presenting the CaseElegance Bamboo Wine Gift Box set.
Give a gift that’ll make them always think of you as they prepare, share and save with the convenient foil cutter, decanter, wine key (corkscrew) and topper. Fits any standard wine 750ml bottle, but not appropriate for oversized champagne bottles.
Sorry, wine not included!
]]>Know your host
What kind of wines does your host drink? The two basic categories are sweet and dry. If sweet, consider a German Riesling or a dessert wine. If your host prefers a dry wine, consider a California Chardonnay for a white or an Australian Shiraz for a red.
Seek out an expert
If in doubt, a wine expert is as close as your neighborhood beverage store or wine shop. You don’t have to know much about wines. Simply ask the professional to recommend one.
Don’t think expensive means excellent
An expensive bottle of wine doesn’t necessarily mean you will like the taste. On the contrary, a bottle that costs $9.99 may taste wonderful. Remember, in the end it’s all about the thought, not the price. You will be removing the price tag before gifting it anyway.
When in doubt, go with a safe choice.
If you don’t know your host’s wine preferences and have no idea what to buy, take heart. In this case, go with a moderately priced pinot noir. It is an all-around safe choice.
Now that we have covered four pointers for selecting a perfect wine gift, we would like to add one more important point to consider…
Make your gift presentation something memorable!
Ringing the doorbell, only to thrust a bottle of wine into the hands of the host when she opens the door is okay. But what if, instead, you presented that bottle enclosed in a Wine Gift Box set from CaseElegance?
A bottle of fine wine inside our REAL BAMBOO wood wine gift box set will guarantee to make any host oooh and ahh in amazement.
And, it will truly be a gift that’ll make them always think of you as they prepare, share and save with the convenient foil cutter, decanter, wine key (corkscrew) and topper.
What an elegant surprise, indeed!
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