While we all know that wine can be an excellent accompaniment to any meal or dish, it can also be a great ingredient. Wine can be a good way to add flavor to food, while also tying in the vintage or varietal you choose to serve with your meal in an interesting way.
When preparing food for an adult gathering, such as a dinner party or other special event, it is a good idea to think ahead to what sort of wine will really make your food taste great. Wine is the ideal beverage for a dinner party, as cocktails and other flavored drinks can overpower your food.
Start planning the type of wine you will serve with your meal from the first course - whether that is hors d' oeuvres, soup or salad. Often, this course will work well with a light white wine such as a chardonnay or a pinot grigio. Both of these wines can be served cold, and will be refreshing.
White wines are a good choice if you are serving or eating a lighter meal. Whites can have a drier taste to them, but most have a lighter sweeter feel that is good for meals that would be overpowered by the strong red. These include salads, fish, chicken, other seafood, and lighter pastas.
Wine reductions, where wine is part of a sauce, are often used with beef or other red meat dishes. For these types of recipes, red wines are most commonly used. Stronger red wines, such as madeira or burgundy are the most popular in these dishes, or even a sweet marsala wine.
Of course, nowadays, many people eschew these rules of wine and drink whatever wine they please with their meal. In these cases, it's important to find out what wine your guests prefer and serve it alongside your meal - even if it isn't the "proper" wine for that meal.
For desserts and hors d' oeuvres, other types of wines may come into play. Sparkling wines or champagnes may make an appearance at either end of the meal, as they compliment items such as the cheese plate or simple desserts like delicate pastries or cookies.
For dessert, wines that are sweeter are often the best choice. You may wish to go with a fortified wine to enhance your cake or other pastry, or a sweeter after dinner wine such as a sparkling wine like champagne can also be an option. Either of these will go well with an after dinner treat.
There are many different ways to incorporate wine into your meals - and it doesn't just have to be as a beverage. Wine can be a big part of your meal in many ways - whether you choose red, white or even a sweet wine like sherry or port, it can be an integral part of your dining experience.
Article Source: http://www.orbitaloc.com/
Azdak Alisimo writes about wineries and wine subjects for Wineriesforyou.com
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