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Do you find it hard to pick out the right wine for a special dinner or event?  We have a checklist of particular things to look for in a good wine.  This should help you make a great choice in your next wine purchase.

1. White Wines:  A white wine is a great choice to serve with hors d’oeuvres as your guests are arriving.  A white wine has a light, fresh flavor that won’t interfere with the main dish.  The Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blancs, and a good Chablis are all good choices.  Ask your local wine merchant what he or should would suggest.  They will let you sample some upon request.

When toasting that special event in your life or the life of a loved one the whites are a perfect choice. The more common toasting wine for weddings and anniversaries is of course the more elegant choice of Champagne.

2. Red Wines: A good red wine such as merlot wine is great anytime, but when considering which wine to serve with a particular meal, a red is normal chosen for the heartier meals of beef, pork or lamb.  A good Merlot, Burgundy, or Cabernet would all be perfect choices.

A really nice red wine produced mostly in Oregon is the Pinot Noir.  With its blend of plum, vanilla and blackberry flavors it would be a nice addition to any meal.

The spiciness of the Shiraz would make it a great addition to a spicy Mexican dinner.  It would enhance the flavors a make a simple meal of enchiladas and tacos seem elegant.

A Chianti is a perfect choice for a hearty lasagna or spaghetti dinner.  You do not have to spend a lot to get a good Chianti. Who can resist those cute little bottles wrapped in the basket weave?

A robust Burgundy would be the red to choose for a fine standing rib roast or delicate filet mignon.

Your main concern when serving your friends a fine meal is that they are happy and enjoying the dinner.  Everyone will have their own opinions of what is a good wine.  Make sure you have a couple of different white wines and a few different reds.  This way they can taste and choose for themselves.  You could have an impromptu wine tasting.

If wine is your hobby you may want to consider producing your own wine at home.  There are several fruit wine recipes that are not complicated turn out a great wined to serve with desserts or chilled on a hot summer afternoon.  Look for some recipes at a fruit wine making site online.

If you are passionate about collecting wine and have a large collection or if you only store a few bottles for parties, you will keep them in prime conditions with a wine refrigerator. With capacities ranging from six bottles up to 800 bottles, wine cooler refrigerators can fit under a cabinet or stand against a wall, with many choices in between. Dual zone wine refrigerators are readily available and these can store different styles of wines at different temperatures for long-term storage or drinking.

For people without the space to build a wine cellar for wine storage a wine refrigerator can provide an ideal solution. A compact undercounter wine refrigerator will keep wines at the ideal wine temperature and it should be remembered that even those wines that are best served at room temperature should be stored in a cool environment to protect the integrity of the wine.

The advantage of dual zone wine refrigerators is their ability to store different types of wines within the same unit. It is recommended that white wines be stored between 46 and 54 degrees F and red wines at 54 to 64 degrees F. In addition to offering optimum temperature control, a wine refrigerator will also maintain the ideal humidity for wine storage.

The Correct Way To Store Wine

Most wine lovers understand that they must treat their wines with respect and avoid vibration of the bottles to protect the wine. All quality wine refrigerators are vibration free and some will have LED interior lighting to further protect the wine from premature aging.

Even a low wattage bulb can increase the temperature in an enclosed space like a wine refrigerator. Wines should ideally be stored in darkness, so the use of LED lights that do not emit any appreciable heat will assist in creating a cooler and darker environment. However, it is always recommended that you only open the wine refrigerator when necessary.

Most wine refrigerators have metal racks on which the bottles can lie tilted slightly towards the opening end to ensure the corks remain in contact with the wine. Depending on the space available for a wine refrigerator – from compact undercounter units that can hold up to a dozen bottles to larger furniture-style units with a capacity to store many hundreds of bottles – a wine refrigerator can protect your wine collection from the temperature, humidity and vibration hazards that can alter taste, hasten aging and reduce the appeal of your wine.

From time to time you can purchase a discount wine refrigerator at a substantial saving at a closeout sale.

To complement a good dinner you need fantastic wine to go with it. For discerning curry aficionados, it could soon be the habitual final flourish to millions of take away orders from around the world. When having a smart slap up meal the waiter would ask you what you would like to drink to which you would answer, “A bottle of your finest Nashik region sauvignon blanc or an original Maharastran Shiraz”. Like any good meal there are some essentials that you need, for example, tableware, food, wine and general service.
The Indian wine industry is desperately trying to emulate the success of the sub-continents beer (Cobra) and food (Curry). However India’s oldest winery only dates back to early1982 so the industry is still really in the starting phases. India as a nation are trying to increase their revenue stream as much as possible by broadening their own horizons. Exporting wine as well as beer and food will be a great move for Indian commerce as a nation as this will un-doubtedly help their relation and profit prospects.
White wine and red wine go well with any meal and normally you would go for a wine that has been brewed and made in France or Italy for example but Indian wine could change all of that. Sales have grown by 30% to 35% in India every year since 2002 and although only 2% of the population drinks wine, that still accounts for a staggering twenty million people. Last year alone the Indian alcohol market accounted for 1.two million cases of wine being sold, representing a doubling of domestic consumption in only just five years. Compared to global players in the wine industry – America last year produced 270 million cases – India remains a viticultural minnow but now producers believe they have spotted a receptive export the globe and an avenue to make plenty of money.

If you are looking for an easy, step-by-step wine making guide “Delicious Wine Making Made Easy” by Scott Young is it!  This book is not only easy to read it also contains all the information you will need to create a successful batch of your own wine at home – on your first try.

Scott is a confident and experienced home winemaker and shares his experience with you.  I was impressed with his writing and organizational capabilities.  His book is carefully laid out in 15 easy to follow lessons.  

You must skip even one lesson or step, for your first batch of wine could easily be turned into several bottles of vinegar.  Scott gives valuable advice on exactly what goods you will need, how much and where to find them.  You will also gain the information on the list below and more:

•    Preparation, fermentation and wine storage.
•    Collecting needed supplies.
•    Time management
•    Proper sanitizing.
•    The perfect work space.
•    Counter top space.
•    The importance of each lesson.
•    Cleaning your work space
•    The final product 

Scott reviews several types of wine making products in lesson three, given you his recommendation and suggestions.

Each lesson builds on the previous one, it is imperative not to skip any.  The final chapter holds lessons 11-15 which provide suggestions on how to improve or upgrade your recipes and methods.

The appendix contains thoughts and ideas for hosting a wine tasting.  You are given tips for evaluating and ranking wines.

I am excited to have this book available at my fingertips as a reference guide for product tips, for recipe ideas and for trouble shooting when I run into problems.  Using this book practically guarantees making a great bottle of home made wine a success.