Andrew G asked:


I have yet to really aquire the taste for strong tasting beers. I tried an almost fruity tasting beer called something like berrywise. it was quite good and im sure there are other fruit and sweet tasting beers out there i can enjoy. thanks

asked:


I’m looking for a red wine that is sweet and doesn’t have a strong alcohol taste, any suggestions.

NYC123 asked:


My friend and I split a bottle of wine and her teeth were a little red, not much at all, and mine were very red. My other friend came over and even noticed. Why do my teeth turn so red when I drink red wine and hers don’t?

Lizziepoppy asked:


I’d like to buy a present of some wine for a friend, who knows a lot more about wine than I do. He’s a bit of a foodie and really likes a good steak or lamb, so I want to get a bottle of red which would complement that. Not got much of a budget – about £15 for the bottle. Can anyone make some suggestions and then give me some ideas where I might be able to find something like that?

Snowflake asked:


There’s a recipe I’m wanting to try, but it calls for “white wine vinegar”. All I have is, apple cider, white distilled, balsamic, and seasoned rice wine vinegar. Would you suggest either of these as a sub?

abovexme51 asked:


I am just wondering the difference b/n dry wine and regular wine.. also, what is a good white wine to cook with?

thewinebaron asked:

How to taste wine like a Pro, by the Wine Baron.

classicguy4u22 asked:


Also any other tips that can help me advertise my store location?

Imagine having invited people over for dinner in one of the best fine dining restaurants in your place. Imagine struggling over the wine menu. This can be embarrassing and this can ruin a good evening for you. A good wine choice can mean a lot of difference to your food. Wine connoisseurs know that there are wines that compliment certain kinds of foods. Basically, if you are served a chicken dish paired with a glass of white wine, you will certainly enjoy your meal more. Now, it is easy to remember which wines go with what kind of food, you just have to know how to order wine in a restaurant.

Unraveling the Wine Ordering Mystery

Indeed, knowing how to order wine in a restaurant is an art. Knowing which wine goes with what dish is a great skill. If you have seen a wine menu or a wine list, you would know that ordering wine can be daunting especially if a restaurant offers a wide selection of wines. You can’t be blamed if you’d end up confused.

If you have no idea at all what to get, you should always seek assistance. It’s always better to admit ignorance then to commit mistake by pretending that you know what you are doing. Most restaurants offering haute cuisines have sommeliers to help out their customers. These are wine “experts” who would be willing to help you if you don’t know how to order wine in a restaurant.

Choosing the Perfect Wines

A good wine menu has all kinds of information about every wine listed. You would find the name, manufacturer, country of origin, wine description, vintage and meal suggestions. If you have guests, it is a good idea to get their wine preference. Courtesy dictates that you should let your guests choose their meal and wine combination. There are people who have particular taste for wines. Their choice may not suit a particular dish but let them enjoy their wine and meal.

However, if you are asked to order the food and the wine, it is good to know how to order wine in a restaurant. Red and white wines are perfect for main courses. When choosing a white wine or red wine, it is best to get a heavy white wine or a light red wine. Now, if you are not familiar with how a wine’s name is pronounced, it is best to leave it to the sommelier. Do not attempt to guess its pronunciation or you could end up embarrassing yourself.

Learning how to order wine in a restaurant does not end with learning how to match wines with meals. You should also learn how to choose the right wine that is within your budget. A good bottle of wine can cost you as much as $500 a bottle.

Going Through the Wine Serving Process

Usually, before a wine is served, you will have to go through the wine approval process. The sommelier will bring your wine to your table. If you don’t know what to do with the wine, you would likely just stare at it and nod your head. What you are expected to do, however, is to get the wine and check it. You need to check the label and see if you are being served the right wine. You should also check its content. You also need to check if the cork is intact, so you would know if you are being served a properly stored wine.

The server will then give you a wine sample. Do not just drink it. What you should do it to check the color of the wine. Vintage wine should look brown. This is the wine’s clarity. You should also check the smell and check for a vinegar-like or a rusty-like smell. If your wine smells like vinegar or rust, you should request for another bottle. Chances are your wine has undergone oxidation due to bad storage or cork problems. Now, if all these things are okay, you can then taste the wine. If the taste is up to your liking, you can then give your approval. The server will then bring out the wine and the rest of your meal. The whole wine approval process can take about half a minute or more depending on you.

Ordering wine can be intimidating if you don’t know what to get. It is best, therefore, that you learn how to order wine in a restaurant. Once you have learned this art, you will enjoy its benefits time and time again.



By: ProChef360Blog

About the Author:

If you have a growing collection of wine, it may be time to consider constructing a wine cellar. Some time ago the custom wine cellar was a rarity; today more and more wine lovers are learning about wine cellar construction or contracting the work out to those who know how to do the job correctly.

Wine cellar rooms are more than a dark, cool place to hold an assortment of wine bottles. Today’s custom wine cellar is a controlled environment where humidity and temperature are regulated to allow wine to correctly age without harm to corks, labels or the wine itself.

There are two styles of wine cellars. One is a room that has been particularly constructed to store wine in the perfect environment and the other is a stand-alone unit that mirrors those conditions. A stand-alone wine cellar is not as valuable as a custom-built version, but some people desire the aesthetics of a small cooled refrigerator over a custom wine cellar. Those who do choose a custom cellar have three simple considerations for proper design.

Temperature Control and Venting

A wine cellar room is used to hold and age the wine in the bottle rather than keeping it at a serving temperature. (A stand-alone wine fridge is excellent for bringing wine out of the cellar to store at serving temperatures.) Aging wine is a balance of time, temperature and the chemical reactions that occur as an outcome of the two.

Wine should be aged in conditions ranging between 55 and 65 percent humidity and a solid 55 degrees Fahrenheit, give or take one degree. Wine stored at higher temperatures will age quicker and wine experiences chemical reactions at higher temperatures that devalue the flavor over time.

In some areas of the country, homeowners with basements often find that conditions are right for basic wine storage, but seasonal temperature and humidity variations should be avoided. The best storage solution is a custom-built or DIY-construction wine cellar with climate and humidity control using a wine cellar cooling component to maintain the temperature at a stable 55 degrees.

These units come in a variety of sizes and the dimensions of your wine cellar will control what size you need to purchase. In no way select a wine cooling system too small for your room; you most likely will never get an accurate, optimal storage temperature and the cooling unit will become overtaxed trying to keep up.

Wine cooling units demand proper venting, and your wine cellar construction job requires either a hole in the wall to permit venting outdoors or enough vent space to move warm air out of the room. Check the specs of your wine cooling unit; most require a venting space at least two times as large as the wine cellar space itself.

Electrical power is also an issue. Custom wine cellar builders recommend a devoted power source to run a wine cooling unit. Those who want to use a shared power source frequently find the system overloading with blown fuses and other electrical issues.

Insulation and Vapor Barriers

The wine cooling unit is only part of your climate control plan for a custom wine cellar; you also need a vapor barrier made of plastic sheeting used on the “hot” side of the wall. Some people cover the interior of the wine cellar previous to placing the insulation, leaving the plastic loose so that insulation can be positioned between the studs in the wall. Wrap the ceiling and the walls, or your vapor barrier will be incomplete. After the barrier is installed, the insulation will come next.

Good wine cellar construction requires the right kind of insulation for your walls and ceiling. For example, if you are building a 2×6 wall, R19 insulation is recommended, but if you have a smaller wall of 2×4, R13 may be your best bet. (The “R” designation represents the heat resistance of the insulation.) Ceilings need R30. Custom wine cellar builders should never set up the insulation loose without packing the material into the sections, as this lessens the insulation’s effectiveness.

The next step is to install a kind of drywall called green board, which is moisture-resistant, making it a bit more expensive than normal drywall. Install an exterior-grade door to the wine cellar and your climate control plan is finished.

Lighting and UV Exposure Control

Wine is destroyed by UV exposure, which is why the bottles are usually made out of dark glass. Avoid putting in fluorescent bulbs in the wine cellar room, as they give off UV radiation. Control the brightness by using recessed lighting on a dimmer and avoid shining light directly on your wine bottles for long periods of time. Some wine racks are constructed with compartments that hide bottles from the light which can help reduce exposure, but if your bottles are stowed in clear view, try to avoid the “spotlight” effect on your bottles.

Other Concerns

Just about any kind of flooring can be used in your custom wine cellar. If your home is big enough for a tasting room to complement your cellar, you may want to give them both a matching look, but by no means use carpet and rugs in the cellar area. They simply can’t hold up to the required humidity levels without giving away to mold. Mold growth will spoil your wine, as can any powerful odor from chemicals or cheeses. A wine cellar should be used only to hold wine; store food in a separate area.

At all times check the temperature and humidity in your wine cellar with an external sensor or gauge. Never assume that the wine cooling component will always function properly. A quick look at the external gauge can offer you early warning if the wine cooling system is having difficulties, or if the unit is showing a wrong readout because of a bad sensor or other technical problems.

Making a custom wine room may ask for some attention to the design demands of good wine storage, but once correctly built, you may realize that your collection grows rapidly; it’s simple to invest more money in wine when you know it will be held securely for maximum delight.



By: Ben Adams

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