Steak by TheBusyBrain

Steak is a staple of the backyard barbecue as well as one of the classics for a romantic dinner at home or out on the town. For the wine lover, it needs that appropriate libation to match it perfectly. For the many cuts of steak, many kinds of wine shine.

Oh, the Cuts

Steak by FotoosVanRobin

Steak has, if nothing else, an enormous variety of cuts. Each has its own characteristics which demand other flavors. For the most part, though, beef has traditionally sat at the table with red wine to match one hearty and strong flavor with another. There’s no point in serving an expensive wine with expensive meat, or vice versa, if both flavors do not possess equal status in the dinner relationship.

Steak by Another Pint Please...

For the most part, a bold red with a cut of steak is a good choice. If nothing else, this pairing is workable. If you have more time to consider the wine, consider the particulars of the meat. If the cut is from a more flavorful rather than tender cut, such as the flank or from the end of the ribs, yielding London Broil or rib steaks, respectively, stronger red wines are possible or even preferable. For milder but tender cuts, such as filet mignon, very high quality wines which are a bit milder will not overwhelm. Pinot noir or even a young claret which has not had time to develop a smoky flavor will be wonderful.

How Will You Serve It?

While the wine being served “with” the steak, the wine is also being served the steak’s sauce or marinade. After all, a dry steak is wretched; even a slightly dried steak served with sauce can be drastically improved. Should the steak be served with a barbecue sauce or another tomato based sauce, Chianti is the traditional wine. Even with such a dish as spaghetti with tomato sauce, Chianti is the preferred choice.

Steak by kina3

If the steak has been adorned with a piquant sauce or marinated with spices, a wine with spicier undertones will complement the meat best. In that case, a strong Zinfandel will taste best. Full-bodied European red wines will also do well. Steak au poivre, one of the best examples of a spicy steak, will not respond well to mild wines. Creamy sauces take well to full-bodied reds. A stronger Chardonnay will also take well to a creamy and fatty sauce.

If you have grilled your steak with just a bit of salt and pepper, be careful with your choices. Wines which are rounded but not overpowering work best with this preparation. Even oaked Chardonnays can be perfect here as the white wine will not overwhelm with too many tannins.

In short, strong red wines are among the best choices for steaks. They are not the only choice, however, since wines have now become a matter of personal choice rather than dictated by rules. If you don’t care for reds, don’t serve them. Choose what you like and enjoy the journey from the beginning of your steak to the last bite.

Pizza by rainydayknitter

While many other pairings in the wine world are, while not simple, at least made easier by a look to tradition, pizza is a bit of enigma. In that traditional home of pizza, Italy, pizza is rarely ever paired with a wine. Whether it is due to simple habit or an accident of economics, it remains uncommon. The normal beverage is either a Coke or a beer. But if a pairing a particular wine with any dish is a matter of personal preference, then too is pairing any wine with any dish a personal preference. So if pizza cries out for a wine, then drink what works well for you.

The Factors: The Classic Margherita

Pizza by rainydayknitter

A pizza has a few components to consider: crust, cheese, sauce, and toppings. Assuming a typical margherita with a thin crust, tomato sauce, a few slices of mozzarella, and fresh basil, the tomato will be one of the most dominant flavors. Tomatoes, in addition to a sweetness brought through only when they are truly ripe, contribute significant levels of acid to any dish. When pairing a wine with pizza, a somewhat dry wine will work well. The tomato sauce will contribute the acid and slight sour undertone while the mozzarella will offer up salt and fat for the acid to cut.

The fat the cheese contains is another consideration. The cheese also needs the acid to cut through it, though this must be tempered with the reality that acid and dairy do not always mix well together. The fact that the cheese is already curdled helps alleviate some of this problem. But keep the possibility in mind and be careful with your selection.

The Factors: Other Toppings

Pizza by rainydayknitter

Toppings beside the “classic” pizza might have you consider a different wine. If you have chosen a sweeter sort of topping, like the Hawaiian pizza with its pineapple, a sweeter wine such as a Riesling, or a non-sweet but light Sauvignon blanc or Beaujolais, will serve you well. Heartier pizzas dominated by meats need stronger wines to stand up to the flavors, but which will not overwhelm the other flavors. Search for full-bodied white wines, such as Chardonnay or a Pinot Grigio; a strong Syrah would taste wonderful as well.

Vegetarian pizzas have far more flavors than pizzas dominated by the singular flavor of meat. Therefore, they require a wine which balances many of the characteristics of various wines. The toppings, cheese, and sauce all require enhancement. A Pinot Noir is a good choice here, one which straddles the fence in heaviness and acidity.

Pizza by rainydayknitter

In spite of the classic tradition of ignoring wine while serving pizza, what may well be the world’s favorite fruit-based drink works exceptionally well. If spaghetti with tomato sauce, with some grated cheese on top, can be served with wine, so too can pizza. Keeping in mind the need for balance, pizza can be the foil to many a wine. But in a pinch, an inexpensive Chianti can always save the day. The Italians had that one right.

wine and cheese by pete donnelly(aka think001)

Cheese may be one of the most delicious foods mankind has ever created, but to live on it alone would become quite tiresome. Even with the endless variety, the dairy and fat will eventually overwhelm the palate. A simple wine can bring the palate to life again. But what wine to choose? An easy question to phrase, but a difficult one to answer.

Before choosing a wine, one must consider the cheese. Is it a mild cheese, such as a young chêvre cheese? Or is it a stronger cheese, such as the famous (or infamous) Roquefort? The particular cheese on the table sets the guidelines for which wine should be served alongside it.

For Milder Cheeses

Brie by chez loulou

These cheeses, while by no means lacking in flavor, will not overwhelm the palate or the person unused to cheese. These include even those cheeses at first which would seem to be relatively stronger cheeses, such as Brie and Camembert, so long as they are not extremely ripe. Even mild cheeses can manage to work well with red wines, particularly those lighter in nature, with very fruity elements pushing to the front.

For Stronger Cheeses

cheedar by Steel Wool

This is the realm of the cheese lover, who holds up the wrapped bit of cheese after the purchase to inhale the odor of the cheese through the wrapper. Blue, washed rinds, aged, all variations on the theme of the older cheese. Sweeter wines, surprisingly, are among the best choices. A Riesling or a Sauterne works very well, so long as the wine is not too sweet. Fortified wines are also appropriate, such as a Sherry or Port. Think of the classic English pairing of Stilton and Port. Classics are often classics because they work.

Wines high in tannins can work here as well, as many aged cheeses are salty enough to counteract the tannins, though this may not be best for a blue cheese due to the unique flavors in these cheeses, perhaps from the particular molds. Very sharp cheeses, like an aged Cheddar or Parmigiano Reggiano take very well to a very dry red wine.

Aside From Taste

cheese and wine by ChiBart

If you are at a loss for which wine will pair well with a cheese’s characteristics, an easier route is available. Pair a French cheese with a French wine. Set out an Italian cheese with an Italian wine. Serve an English cheese with an English wine. These pairings have traditionally worked, since for much of history, what wine tasters today may consider the most appropriate wines would have been unavailable to the common eater.

The Ultimate Rule

Although general guidelines can be put forth, pairing cheese with wine falls under the most important rule now accepted in the wine world. Your particular taste buds are the most critical factor in the whole affair. If a pairing is delicious, then it is one you should repeat. If that does not conform to the general expectation, then that’s all that means: it does not conform. Finding that perfect pair of cheese and wine is an exquisite thing indeed. What a shame to know that the only path to such knowledge is through much taste testing.

All wines may share certain characteristics, but their differences are significant enough to complicate the serving situation. To properly serve a wine, it is not enough to pour it into a pretty glass and hand it to your guests. Each wine category requires its own glass type and serving temperature; even within the larger group, different styles of wines require more precise techniques. The exact temperatures and size and shape of the glasses are not critical, but general guidelines should be observed.

Red Wine

Red Wine Glass - by Shoot Art, Not Each Other

Red wine is known for its tannins, compounds which can be astringent to the palate. They can also overwhelm the other flavors of the wine. To counteract these, red wine should be served close to room temperature, at about 60 F. Red wine also needs to breathe, allowing some of the flavors break through the harsher aspects. Therefore, reds should be served in large glasses with wide bowls. This allows the wine to be swished around, exposing it to more air.

White Wine

White Wine Glass - by Danielle Bauer

White wine, containing fewer tannins, can be served at a lower temperature than red wine. Between 50 and 55 F, white wine reaches its peak. Since white wine also need not breathe, it requires smaller and narrower glasses which do not expose it to so much air. The smaller glass also means that the wine has less contact with the warmer glass, slowing the rate at which the wine heats up.

Rosé Wine

Wine benefits from an even lower serving temperature than white wine, as it also lacks the overpowering tannins of reds. Approximately 50 F is the warmest a rosé should be drunk. Due to its lower serving temperature, rosé wines need glasses similar to those for white wine to maintain the lower temperature.

Sparkling Wine

Sparkling Wine by Velo Steve

Sparkling wine utilizes the lowest temperature of the main wines, 45 to 50 F. To properly form the bubbles which gives the wine its name, narrow glasses are essential. The longer stem typical of the champagne flute offers a grip on the glass which does not directly affect the wine’s temperature, helping it remain chilled.

Taking It All into Account

While the serving temperatures and different glasses can be frustrating to remember, each specification ensures your wine will be enjoyed to its fullest. If you wish to simplify the process, serve the wines in order of temperature, from the coldest to the warmest. Taking out the white and red wines while serving the champagne lets them reach the appropriate temperatures, provided the white is served first. In the right glass, at the right temperature, a good wine will complement any meal you serve and fix the evening in every guest’s memory.

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Wine Accesories - by mandymooo

Arranging a perfect table is not just a matter of selecting the proper glasses or plates. Sometimes, the tiniest accessories can finish the landscape of the dining room. When it comes to your wine glasses, particular if you have a number of guests at your home for a special but not entirely formal event, the tiniest splash of color can add to the atmosphere. A wedding shower, a baby shower—with non-alcoholic beverages served in the wine glasses, of course—or a birthday party: any of these can be a setting for displaying wine glass charms.

What, Precisely, Are They?

A wine glass charm is what it sounds like: a tiny charm for a wine glass, not unlike a charm bracelet. Often, they are beads on a thin piece of wire that wraps around the stem of the glass. To create a charm which fits, the wire needs to be bent to just go around the stem. Thin craft wire is easily manipulated with a small pair of pliers. While it is not a job to be undertaken an hour before your party begins, creating enough charms for each of your guests is not a lengthy process.

wine accesories by mandymooo

How to Add That Splash to Your Glasses

The items needed to produce wine charms are few. Since such a small number are needed, it is well worth it to invest in good products: quality beads and wire which will not break easily.

• thin craft wire
• wire cutters
• needle-nose pliers
• a wine glass
• beads

1. Cut a short piece of wire. Bend it around the stem of the wine glass to measure it, then remove the wire and cut off the excess. Leave enough for the ends to overlap by about half an inch.
2. Thread the beads onto the wire, being careful of your fingers.
3. With the pliers, bend each end into a semi-circle to form to hooks. Test the size by clasping the charm around the wine stem. If it is difficult to fit, adjust the hooks with the pliers.

wine accesories by mandymooo

Innumerable variations are possible when you take the time to create your own glass charms. Rather than being subject to the current fashion, you can choose the style, color, and size of the beads. Perhaps you want to match the rest of your dining room or off-set a certain feature on your table. Maybe you want to draw attention to the napkin rings by creating charms which are completely unlike them, to contrast them. Whatever the reason, your personal touch will be appreciated by your guests and add a special touch to your event.

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Mulled Wine by thebone

Mulled wine, in the modern mind, is a delicacy of the holiday season. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the beverage is served at Christmas markets and to guests in the home. While it can be purchased ready-to-serve in some locales, the best you will ever taste is what you will make on your own stove or sample from newly prepared steaming pot in a friend’s kitchen.

The Base

Although it is not set in stone, red wine is typically the base for mulled wine. White wine can be substituted if desired. A grape-based wine is not even necessary, as either mead—a fermented beverage made from honey, sometimes called honey wine—or unfermented juice are used as well. Sugar or honey is typically added to this base as a contrast to the wine’s flavor.

The Additions

Citrus and Wine by a song under the sugar sugar

Mulled wine almost always calls for spices, typically those called warming spices. This group includes such spices as cloves, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg. While this recipe gives specific spices, others can be substituted to your tastes. These spices do not conform to the American notion of spicy meaning burning hot, but spicy meaning an assertive flavor. They lend a particular and delicious taste to the brew. Even those spices which have a bite to them, such as black pepper, are sometimes considered mulling spices.

Although not spices, vanilla and citrus are very commonly thrown into the pot. In the recipe below, perhaps rather than having to strain the zest and spices, you may want to slice the orange and stud it with the cloves. Mulled wine is very much an expression of your creative side, so jumping in is nearly as fun as sampling the result.

The Process

• 1 750 milliliter bottle of red wine
• two-thirds to one cup of sugar, depending on your preference
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 cloves
• 1 orange, zested
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• two ounces of brandy or a liqueur of your choice

Wine Mulling Ingredients by Daveybot

1. Pour the wine into a large, non-reactive pot and place it over low to medium heat. Add the sugar, stirring until it has dissolved.
2. Add the spices, the vanilla seeds, the vanilla pod halves, the orange zest, and the brandy.
3. Bring the wine to a simmer, but do not allow it to boil. Stir the pot occasionally for twenty to thirty minutes.
4. Remove the pot from the heat and pass through a fine strainer or cheesecloth, to catch the spices, pod, and zest. Serve warm.

Christmas Wine by Ian Hayhurst

The aroma of mulled wine is one essence of Christmas and the winter months. The warmth of the spices and vanilla cut through the cold, warming you just like the heat of the wine. So next autumn, when the leaves have fallen and winter is winning the battle of the seasons, bring out your pot and raid your spice rack. You have nothing but memories to look forward to.

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Red Wine Spill by gromgull

It always manages to happen: when red wine is in the room, gravity decides to wreak its havoc on your clothes, your furniture, your carpet, or all of the above. Sometimes, one wishes Newton had never sat under the apple tree. Ignorance, after all, is bliss. But the deed is already done, and you’re staring at a splash of vibrant red in the middle of your new white carpet. (It is always new when it happens, after all.)

There is a solution other than carpeting the room again, or purchasing a rug you’d rather not have to lay over the splotch. It is possible to remove the red wine stain, and doing so is not quite so dramatic as the realization that the red wine is soaking into something you’d rather it not. The key to salvaging your possession is to act quickly and wisely. Just remember, if it’s something you wouldn’t normally wash at home, don’t try to remove the stain yourself, either.

The Tools For the Homemade Rescue

White Vinegar by elycefeliz

• dish soap
• hydrogen peroxide
• warm water
• white vinegar

1. The specific method you select will affect which ingredients you need, so bear that in mind while reading the instructions. Always test a small area first to ensure your fabric will not discolor, which would undermine your goal.
2. If you elect to use the soap and hydrogen peroxide, mix a little of each together. Blot the stain with the mixture.
3. If you choose to use the vinegar and soap, mix a teaspoon of soap with a cup of water; then add one part vinegar to two parts water.
4. First dab the stain with the the soap, then with the vinegar solution.
5. Blot the stain with water, then dab it again with the soap.

Red Wine by bfurlong

Red wine can also be removed with strong cleaners. While these are more expensive since they are not commonly stocked household items, they are often proven to remove such stains. Remedies created from household items are not always effective.

Still, the choice is yours. If your stain is fresh and time is of the essence, try one of the homemade methods. So long as you bear in mind that success is not certain, it is always worth it to try. If you have the time, it’s always worth it to do something to the best of your ability. Using a well designed cleaner or simply taking a garment to a dry cleaner’s will give you the best chance of success.

Wine Basket by Spotrick

Should you have a friend who appreciates wine and good food, don’t bother with sending a book or some such thing. Alimentary treats are always the best for the food lover. What better way to satisfy the twin urges of food and wine than to put together a wine gift basket, with all the trimmings?

Wine: the Center

Wine Gift Basket by mothernaturebeauty

The central component of a wine basket is, of course, the wine. To add variety to your gift, include two different styles of wine. An ideal pairing would be a white and red wine, perhaps a sweeter white and a drier red. If possible, include three bottles with the extra bottle as a sparkling wine. Of course, the choice is yours based on the recipient’s tastes and preferences. But such pairings provides a good point from which to start.

Accessories: the Satellites

In spite of the attempts of some, man cannot live by wine alone. Even the best wine is better when surrounded by a delicious supporting cast. One of the classic choices is cheese. A good cheese will complement most anything except fish and works exceptionally well with wine. Classic French cheeses such as Brie and Camembert add marvelous flavor. A natural side to include with the cheese is crackers or some sort of toast points. What is the point of the cheese if there is nothing on which to serve it?

Brie de Melun by chez loulou

Finally, chocolate always works well. It can cut through the tannins of a dry wine or match the sweetness of a lighter glass. Darker or lighter, milk or not, the chocolate can be paired or contrasted with the wine as you like.

But these represent just the beginning of the possibilities. Imagination is the limit, matching the tastes of the receiver. Once you’ve procured your basket and a bit of padding to keep the contents from shifting too much, begin building your gift basket. The only response will be thanks, and maybe an invitation to sample a glass.

Hand Made Cork Board by moonlight Bulb

After the party has ended, the table cleared, the dishes washed, all the remnants of the wine bottles remain. What to do with the bottles and the corks? The labels can be removed and mounted, but what of the corks? With some glue and a hammer, those corks can easily be transformed from a hassle into a decorative bulletin board for your kitchen.

Wine Cork by jeffsmallwood

The Tools

• wood glue
• wine corks
• quarter inch plywood
• saw
• hammer
• hanging fixtures
• tape measure or ruler

The Process

1. Assuming the wine corks are all of identical or similar size, measure the length and width of one. This will provide the approximate area of one wine cork when it is laid down to be used as a flat surface. Multiply this by the number of wine corks to get the approximate total area.
2. Cut the plywood to the total area of your corks. This may need adjustment at the end of the process, but this will yield a general plan.
3. Paint a thin layer of wood glue in the center of the plywood and lay out the first few corks in a consistent pattern. The specific choice is a matter of creative license: one cork vertical with two horizontal beside it; two vertical and two horizontal; anything which can be repeated across the entire board is possible. Once your pattern is set, continue to glue the corks to the board.
4. After the board is covered, let it sit flat for three days to allow the glue to dry completely. Once the glue is dry, cut away any excess board.
5. Carefully mount your fixture on the back of your new bulletin board and to the wall where it will hang. Set it in place and admire your craft skills.

Cork Mulch by Leo Reynolds

The bulletin board can be used like any other. The corks are the same material; one need only be aware of the crevices to avoid pushing a pin where no cork exists. With only that caveat, the board you now have in your home is far more stylish than anything which can be purchased at a store and worth every minute you spent creating it.

Riesling Kabinett 1975 by Wikipedia

Pork has, unfortunately, come to truly embody its nickname as “the other white meat”. Lean and easy to cook dry as a bone, it cries out for something to rescue it. That something could easily be a wine. Pair a good wine with a good cut and a good sauce and you can be in pork heaven.

The Cuts

Like every critter human beings regularly select for their dinner plates, pork has a number of cuts from which to choose. Some of these can be as lean—and dry—as boneless skinless chicken breast while others contain more fat for taste and bone for moisture. Many cuts of pork can pair well with a variety of wines. Charcuterie, the name for a wide variety of cold cuts and preserved meats, pair well with the light Beaujolais as well as sweet wines such as Sauternes. A ham, cut from the rump or leg, can adapt to a Riesling or a Merlot. Spare ribs, with their fat and the moisture from their bones, may benefit from a more acidic wine to cut through the fat and cleanse the palate.

Tenderloin, once again, can be served with many wines: these tend to be somewhat lighter, with fruity and spicy notes. Pork chops, with their bone to provide moisture, take heavier white wines very well, and many red wines, too. As with the white wines, choose full-bodied red wines.

The Sauce

Schinken-roh by Wikipedia

Thanks to health trends over the past few decades, most of the fat has been bred out of the average American pig. While cardiologists may hail this as an achievement, it is a stumbling block and irritation to many a cook. So now the trick for maintaining moisture in lean meat comes into play: the sauce.

If you’ve selected a lighter and thinner sauce, lighten your wine choice. Perhaps pull back to a Pinot Noir from a heavier Merlot. If you have chosen to toss your pork with a tomato based barbecue sauce, think about a Chianti, one of the traditional wines for tomato sauces. Or if you have served your pork heavily spiced, think about a sweeter wine for the contrast.

If you have served sauce with another element of the meal, take that into account. The traditional accompaniments to barbecue, even that with minimal or no sauce added to it by personal preference, contribute sauces which must be addressed. Coleslaw with its mayonnaise and baked beans with its tomato sauce add another layer of consideration. Perfectly matching the pork does nothing if the choice is a disaster with other elements.

Rosemary Pork Chops by Special*Dark

Pork, particularly a simply cooked cut, is a food which nearly begs for something to transform it into something great. Its own transformation from succulent meat into lean protein has it craving elevation on the plate. Do your dinner justice and pour yourself a great glass of wine. It may be a lighter wine than the past due to the lighter flavor of the pork, but the pairing you choose will be no less delicious.