Picking The Perfect Wine

Nowadays here are many styles of drinks to choose from and wine lover will tell you that one of the best is wine. It is drunk at parties, at dinners and at celebrations like weddings, it's become the drink of choice for those with fine taste. However, there are many different types of wine and multiple brands to select from so picking the perfect wine can be very confusing for someone who is just starting out.

Red wines can be broke down into grape varieties like cabernet sauvignon, merlot, shiraz, pinot noir, zinfandel and are the most commonly consumed wines at dinner as they accompany food well. White wines include grape varieties like chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, semillon and Riesling and go very well with lighter meals and are often served at lunch. Blush or rosé wines are often served at picnics and don't make very good dinner accompaniments. And dessert wines like late harvest Riesling, noble rot affected wines and ice wines are well-suited to sweet desserts. Fortified wines like port, tokay, madeira are often served after dinner with coffee and fine Spanish sherry makes a great aperitif before dinner.

So how do you decide which wines to buy? Most people hold to the "Three P's" when it comes to buying wine, either from a winery or a local retailer. The first "P" refers to price which is a huge factor when looking at wines. You don't have to break the bank to get a good bottle of wine these days. The present wine glut means there are plenty good wines available for $15 instead of the $30 it used to cost to get one.

The next "P" refers to preference, an important factor when choosing a wine that many people will be drinking. If you're throwing a party, it's a better idea to stick to the "softer" red wines like merlot or pinot noir just to make sure that most people can enjoy it. And for a white wine select a chardonnay or a semillon/sauvignon blanc blend.

The final "P" stands for pairing which can be the most fun. When buying a wine to accompany a meal, consider what you're going to be drinking it with. White wines are frequently paired with fish or chicken and red wines are paired with heartier meals containing red meat. However, experimentation is fine and pairing suggestions are just that ... suggestions.

No matter your final choice, following the "Three P's" is a good start in picking the perfect wine.