Most of us do not have the luxury of a temperature controlled wine cellar.  I don’t even have a wine fridge!  (I know that’s not as tragic of a statement as I make it out to be.)  So when it comes to serving wine I can find myself in a sticky situation.  I mean…what are  you supposed to do?  How are you supposed to know if the wine is at the right temperature for serving?  Well, when I took a tour of the Robert Mondavi Winery a few years ago, our tour guide gave us this quick tip!
White Wines are supposed to be served chilled (approx 45° F).  Not ice cold.  So refrigerate them no less than two hours prior to serving.  Then remove them about twenty minutes before you’re ready to serve them.
Red Wines are to be served just below room temperature (approx 64° F).  If you refrigerate them twenty minutes prior to serving, then they will be about the right temperature.
These are just handy tips.  For more specifics on serving temperatures for a particular wine, check out the recommendations by Master of Wine Jancis Robinson on Wikipedia.

Happy Monday!

When it comes to what wine you’re supposed to drink with different types of entrees, people tend to get a bit unnerved.  The fear of serving the wrong wine with the wrong entree is actually pretty prevalent for wine newbies.  I myself am more of a “drink what you like” person unless I’m at a really fantastic restaurant…then I ask the sommelier…that’s what he’s there for!

But if you would like to effectively pair your wines with a meal then let’s walk through what that means.
Now the rules of white wine with chicken and red wine with beef are a bit too loose.  For example, chicken with a marsala wine sauce is actually best served with a red wine (pinot noir or merlot) rather than a white wine.  And if you are having BBQ Beef and want a glass of wine, then a White Zinfandel is your best bet.  To properly pair wine you really have to pay attention to how the entree is seasoned and what the flavors of the sauce are.  Remember, wine and food pairing is about finding flavors that compliment each other.

You will find that spicy foods tend to pair better with white wines.  White wines are served chilled which helps cut the spicyness, but also the fruitful flavors help balance spicy dishes and help your poor tongue taste the flavors and not just that spicy kick!

Dishes with a tomato based sauce tend to naturally have more developed flavors, so you need a wine that can hold its own!  That’s why red wines typically pair best with tomato sauces; red wines have more going on that white wines so the complexity of a red will help balance a rich sauce.

If you’re getting ready for a dinner party and are stuck as to what you should offer, then check out the following website:
E&J Gallo Winery Wine Pairing
It has  a great interactive chart to help you find the best red and best white for whatever you may be serving!

It is the time of year that most people think to enjoy a glass of bubbly.  As someone who regularly enjoys a glass of champagne, I am a big believer in drinking champagne from a champagne glass.  I mean, there’s a reason why we have specific glassware for martinis, red wine, white wine, even beer!  So when it comes to champagne, nothing less than a proper glass will do.  And at New Years when everyone is toasting each other, there’s nothing like the clinking of glasses to accompany the goodwill and cheer!  So if you are hosting a party this year and want to do right, then do one of the following:

1. Buy champagne flutes.  Target generally has pretty inexpensive options.
2. Borrow champagne flutes.  If you know someone who is into their champagne and has flutes to spare, ask to borrow them for the evening.
3. Rent champagne flutes.  Yes!  You can rent them from any party rental company.  And for less than what you would pay to purchase them!

And if you are still not on my side about the champagne in a proper flute, then check out this article from the New York Times.

Thanksgiving!  A time for eating turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie…usually until your pants no longer fit.  But if you are hosting dinner for friends and family, then the day is much more than that!  There is turkey to be cooked, potatoes to be mashed, tables to be set, getting ready yourself and the timing on all those pieces can be terribly consuming!  So here is a helping hand..a brief overview on how to a set a table…for all you first timers!

Courtesy of Real Simple Real Life (big fan of Real Simple Magazine!), here are quick and easy tips for how to set a table.

How To: Set a Formal Table - Click Here for More

How To: Set an Informal Table - Click Here For More

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!