For an evening with friends, a lunch with your mother, a dinner with your partner or even an evening alone. No matter the moment, choose the wine wisely.
LAURA MARTÍNEZ |
We go to the supermarket, we arrive at the wine shelf and we read hundreds of different labels. Chaos! Which is the best one? How do I know if I am choosing well?
The truth is that a good wine can be identified by countless characteristics, but the most important are flavor, smell and color. But of course, here is where things get complicated, since we are not buying an open bottle. There’s no need for panic! In most cases, the label will reveal useful details to determine whether or not it is a good wine.
First of all, it will show the type of grape used in production. Wine is named after the type of grape with which it is manufactured. White wines are made from grapes such as Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Torrontés, Chardonnay or Sémillon. Of red wines you should know that they are obtained from red grapes such as Pinot Noir, Malbec, Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. But why is it important to know that? Each of these grapes results in a drier or sweeter wine; therefore, knowing the characteristics of each grape will help us find the flavor we are looking for.
In addition to the grapes used, the label shows the vintage year of the wine, something like its age. It is important to know this because the age is noted on the palate. If you like young wine with a slight acid touch, then buy a wine with a young vintage. If what you want is to savor a wine with strength and a lot of aroma, a mature wine is better.
But this information is not the only thing we have to take into account. The meal offered at the event will also influence the type of wine that should be bought. If we are going to serve or eat any kind of fish, white wines, especially if they are fresh, young and fruity, go really well with the menu. Red wines go well with red meat. Rosé wines go with almost any ingredient.
Don’t forget that these rules are not fixed. When it comes to the palate, the rules can be modified depending on the taste of the person.
