Which Food to Order With Red Wine?

When you're new to drinking wines, you'd most probably wonder which food to order with red wine when you're in a restaurant. Or which red wine should you buy if you want to serve certain dishes? To make it even more complicated, there is quite a number of red wines that you need to choose from in restaurants or in wine shops.

To give you an idea, here are descriptions of the flavors and dish samples for three of the common reds on the market - cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and pinot noir.

Cabernet sauvignon is often mistaken for merlot and vise versa. But the cab has more structure and definition than merlot. It has the rich fruity flavors of plums, berries, and blackcurrants plus the smoothness of chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and cedar.

Cabernet goes well with almost all red meat dishes. Italian pastas that have flavorful and hearty sauces also go well with a glass of cab. This wine's seductive flavors definitely meld with dark chocolates. Pair this wine with cow's milk cheeses and mild bleu varieties and stay away from those made from goat's milk.

Merlot tastes almost like cabernet sauvignon but is definitely softer and suppler. Like the cab, it carries a flavor splash of fruits like plums, berries, and blackcurrants. It may also give you tastes of chocolate, mint, and eucalyptus. It is normally consumed earlier than cabernet sauvignon, whose tannins take more years to mellow.

When you order this red wine, you can choose beef stews, roast lamb or pork, or pastas with red sauces. Poultry dishes and Mediterranean salads also go well with merlot. Like cabernet sauvignon, this one is in harmony with sheep's and cow's milk cheeses, but not those made from goat's milk. It's best to avoid bleu cheeses when you're having merlot.

Pinot Noir are among the best wines taken as a straight varietal. This delicate yet versatile red tastes of plums, red berries, cherries, and even tomatoes. It also gives you a distinctive earthy flavor that's almost like mushrooms.

Pair this wine with light dishes of salmon, poultry, and vegetables. Creamy sauces and spicy seasonings also complement this red wine. A glass of pinot noir goes deliciously with natural-rinded cheeses made from cow's milk and sheep's milk cheeses. Washed rind and goat's milk cheeses aren't recommended for this wine.

These examples are a good starting point for you if you'd like to learn about food and wine pairing. Try the matches mentioned here so you can literally have a taste of what they're all about.

Order red wine online for your next intimate dinner at home or for your company celebration in the office. Visit WineMarket for a selection of the best reds from Australia sold at discounted prices.

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The Grapes of Red Blends

Vintners all over the world blend certain types of red grapes to produce superb wines. Each grape used has its own distinctive qualities that create some of the best-loved red blends. Among the grapes used for these wines are cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and shiraz. Viognier, while a white variety, is also mentioned here as it is now used to blend with shiraz.

Cabernet sauvignon has the flavors of black currants, blackberries, cherries, bell peppers, and olives. It also gives off aromas and tastes of ginger and anise. As it's processed in oak, it also comes with characteristics of vanilla, coconut, smoke, musk, and leather.

This grape variety favors warmer regions and takes anywhere from 5 to 10 years for it to mature. With its defined structure, it is often blended with the softer merlot for a perfect wine blend.

Merlot has flavors and aromas similar to cabernet sauvignon, but is less distinctive. However, producing wine from this grape variety is quite tricky, because it has to be at its optimum ripeness when it's made into wine. Merlot that's not yet ripe for the picking produces a more herbal taste than fruity. An overripe grape of this variety will also give off herbal flavors.

With its lower acidity and astringency level, it comes out lush and is ideal for blending with cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.

Shiraz is for Australia and South Africa as syrah is for France and the rest of the winemakers in the world. Like merlot, its ripeness is also very critical in producing good wines. It needs warm climate to ripen and loses a lot of its qualities when it's overripe even slightly.

Aside from its spicy and intense flavor and aromas, its rich purple color that's almost black makes it a popular choice for blending, even if it makes a luscious varietal. Its seductive color and richness provides the edge in Rhone-styled red blends that also include grenache and mourvedre.

Viognier is white grape variety that produces wines with deep golden color. It has a complex taste that reminds you of apricots, orange blossoms, and honey mixed with toast, smoke, mint, and even tobacco flavors. It has a low acidity level, but it has an aroma that still comes out even when it's blended with a substantial portion of other grape varieties. This is why it is mostly used in blends. Traditionally, especially in California wineries, it is mixed with chardonnay, chenin blanc, and colombard. But in Australia, it is becoming famous as a blending ingredient with shiraz. Shiraz viognier uses only about 2 to 7 percent of the white grape.


These are just some of the more popular and simpler red blends you'll see out there. Some combinations even carry 4 types of grape varieties. It would be good to keep in mind when buying combination wines in stores that the first variety mentioned in the label should make up the largest portion of the blend.

Red blends like cabernet merlot, cabernet shiraz, and shiraz viognier from Penfolds, Grant Burge, Hardys, and other famous Australian vineyards are all available at discounted prices on WineMarket. Visit their website today.

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Buy Wines Online - Essential Pointers for Web

Buying wines online is the current buzz in many circles. You've probably heard about it through officemates and you find yourself tempted. What do you do? Do you immediately order away? The sanest answer will be to consider the following questions first.

Have you heard any good recommendations?

One great way to buy wine online is through referrals. Friends and family members can give great suggestions to get the ball rolling. Ask them about web suppliers' payment terms and delivery dates. The details will prove worth it once you begin a serious search.

While you're at it, request for an informal sampler. You can volunteer to arrange a casual dinner and invite others to make the event more fun. A bottle of wine and a good meal always go hand in hand to check whether you will also like what you tasted.

Another good option to take in buying wine online is to check online communities and forums. The sources provide a comprehensive review of reliable suppliers. Many of these sites will also rate good wines from the best so you get all necessary information in one go.

Have you read the websites thoroughly?

Purchasing wine online is also about keeping a sharp eye. This includes looking closely at their selections, delivery dates, and prices. You need to look at offers carefully to end up with the wines of your choice. Some websites advertise they have a comprehensive lineup but without paying attention, you may only get limited choices.

Delivery schedules are vital especially if you need to have the goods on time for an event. Check this provision meticulously and email concerns if you have any. A written reply is always best because you can use the supplier's written response to support a claim. You can ask for compensation in case delivery suffers delays or setbacks.

Prices make a whole lot of difference if you intend to buy wine online. While many Internet sites claim the best prices, don't forget to compare what you see with other offers. You might wind up surprised that the supposed best price offer have a counterpart offer that's way lower.

Have you paid attention to the agreements stated?

Internet-based sales have governing agreements between the seller and client. This often includes agreements on information privacy and guarantees regarding the shipped items. Privacy agreements are vital so that personal details such as house address and telephone numbers remain private. The online contract also keeps the merchant from selling these off to other business entities.

Guarantees on deliveries are vital to get the promised items or at least a refund in case something goes wrong. For instance, if delivered bottles are broken, a guarantee makes sure you get your money back.

Both agreements should be visible on the sites. If not, it's time to look elsewhere. The absence is clear indicators that the supplier considered is not that big on customer service.

Shopping wines online is here to stay so it might also be a great idea to order in bulk and to remain a loyal customer. Some online merchants might offer frequent clients discount opportunities and freebies. Getting the offers will help you get more savings and a little extra for efforts.

Maya Bird is known as a food and beverage columnist who buy wine online. The article author is set to write additional content articles concerning wine online.

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How to Use Modern Wine Corkscrews

Wine corkscrews have come a long way since the earlier version that started to get phased out not that very long ago. For the longest time the task of using a wine bottle opener was a bit of a dreaded one. Except maybe for those who were professional level wine connoisseurs or worked in a winery, restaurant or bar, getting the bottle to open correctly always seemed an impossible task. Wine drinkers almost always knew it wasn't going to come out right but maybe at least better than the last time.

These days there are several options to choose from for bottle openers. How easy and convenient you want the bottle opening to be will help you decide which one to get. Even if you are only going for the slightly updated version of the tried and true classic, you will still find it much simpler to use than the previous version. Before thinking about any of that though, it is a good idea to learn about how the different ones work.

Options for Opening Wine Bottles

The modernized wine corkscrews have the same idea as the originals; they are just easier to use. One feature shared by most new styles of wine bottle openers is the handy foil cutter, which takes the hassle out of first peeling back the protective seal. Using the same style spiral needle, you still insert the corkscrew yourself. The difference is usually there is a handy way to determine if you are inserting the needle into the right place on the bottle top. Also, though some modern versions use a crank style system to lower the screw, many have a sort of clamp that makes the process more smooth and swift. Not to mention the end results are cleaner.

You may instead want a version of bottle opener that is electric or battery operated and rechargeable. These are among the easiest to use and safe as well. Simply fit the opening over the bottle top and push a button. The corkscrew lowers until it is deep enough and then by pressing another button the screw retracts pulling the cork with it. It really is that simple.

Considering Features

Regardless of what kind of wine corkscrew you decide to get, you should get some of the basics no matter what style you get or price you spend. For example, a soft grip will make the bottle opening that much easier.

Getting those that are easy to clean to prevent rust is also a good idea. Also always, look for safety features that will help prevent even minor injuries. Keeping this kind of checklist in mind will help you make choosing from all those wine corkscrews on the market today a much easier task.

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From Craig Thornburrow - A writer, small business owner and big fan of Wine"

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