Cynthia E asked:


I love making my fiance Stuffed Chicken Marsala, and he of course loves eating it. We are both trying to cut down calories.
My question is…If cooking the wine burns off the alcohol and most of the calories in wine come from the alcohol itself, then what percent of the calories get burned off?
If it helps, my method is I boil the Marsala wine all by itself with a rolling boil until it is reduced to about 1/3 of the orginal volume of liquid.

iamjaycee asked:


I used to serve at an authentic Italian restuarant, and loved the white sauces they made with either white wine, or champagne, cream, and garlic. But any new recipes don’t necessarily have to be italian. I love german food also!

Kim C asked:


I am planning a dinner and dance for about 40 adults. I am estimating that 8 or so will not drink. How do I know how much wine and beer to buy? Even though it is an Italian dinner, I just don’t know how big of a wine drinking crowd it will be.

There are some basic rules that will help you get the right combination of foods paired with wines. Yes, there are wines that will improve the quality of your dining experience when the right combination of food is pair appropriately with the right choice in wine. When you get it right, the right combination can make your meal immensely enjoyable while the wrong combination can ruin your dinning experience. However, the number one rule for choosing the right wine and food pairing is to choose the wine that you prefer.

These four questions will help you choose the right wine.

When you are considering which wine to order for your meal, keep in mind the following four questions. (1) What is the main dish? Is it fish, chicken or beef? (2) How will it be cooked? Will it be grilled, baked, lightly fried, or pan-fried? (3) Is the main dish accompanied by a sauce and if so, what kind of sauce and what are its flavors? (4) Will there be any side dishes and how will their flavors impact your wine choice? There are many different types of wine choices available today, so the basic wine rules may not always apply, but generally speaking these rules remain for the most part, still accurate for helping you make the right wine choice: white wines with poultry and fish, and red wines with beef.

When choosing your wines “think wine power”.

Generally speaking, red wines will work best with dishes that are rich, heavy and have a big flavor. When choosing a beef dish, you should consider the powerful strength of beef and choose a wine that has equal power. This rule also is effective for dishes that are served in rich, thick, heavy, full-of-herbs types of sauces. The reason why red wines and beef goes well together is that red wines contains tannins which mixes with proteins, allowing the flavors to blend well together. White wines do not contain tannins and therefore generally do not work well with red meats.

White wines works best with light foods, such as chicken, turkey or fish. Color and the aromatic smells of the flavors influence taste buds and wines that are lighter, such as white wines, will complement the meal and not overpower the flavors of the foods. Even in light types of foods, the type of sauce that is paired with the dish can influence the taste of the wine with the food. This changes the definition of light, and now that dish might be better paired with a red wine or Rose or a wine that has a bit more spice.

You need more than one wine, with a multiple course meal.

When you are having a multiple course meal, you should have more than one wine choice. To make one wine work for an multiple course meal would be difficult because of the multiple of flavors. If possible, choose a wine that is appropriate for the appetizer or first course, and then change the wine for the main dish, and then change the wine again for the dessert choice.

Start off with a lighter wine (usually white, or light tasting wines) and then move to the more full-bodied types of wine (red wines and burgundy’s) and then move to the dessert wines (ports & muscats.) Wines that have low acid can often be overwhelmed even with foods that are light in taste. Acidic wines that you would not drink alone can be quite wonderful when paired with the right food choice. The following examples of going from light to more full-bodied wines are: White Zinfandel, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewrztraminer and Chardonnay. In the red wines, go from the lighter tasting red wines to red wines that are more full-bodied: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

You can’t go wrong, when you choose a wine that you know you like.

The four questions guideline will help you to pair the right wine with your meal selection. Until you feel comfortable in making those wine choices for yourself, ask your server to suggest a wine for you. Be sure and tell them the type of wine you prefer, so they can keep that in mind before coming up with their recommendations. They should be able to provide you with three to four appropriate wine recommendations in varying price ranges that should work well with your meal. If you get a bottle or a glass of wine that you don’t like, then feel comfortable in sending it back and requesting a new bottle or a new wine pour. Of all the wines rules to follow when it comes to wine and food pairing, the number one rule to remember, is to always choose the wine that you like.



By: Karen Karila

About the Author:

SOUL asked:


I just received my master’s degree and want to plan a wine and cheese reception. I’ve matched the wines w/ the cheese but I have no clue of what else to do. I’m open to all suggestions as I plan this gala event. I’m looking for new, bright, original ideas. Thanks.

expertvillage asked:

Identifying wine meniscus is an important step in wine tasting. Get tips for understanding what wine meniscus is in this free video from a wine sommelier. Expert: Jane Nickles Bio: Jane Nickles is the author of “Wine Speak 101″, and wine writer for “The Texas Wine and Food Gourmet”, and…

Lanani asked:


And are there other health benefits to drinking a single glass of red wine daily? I keep reading studies that suggest there are.
I think the key to this is ONE glass a day… I would think that becoming a heavy drinker would negate any good effects…

nova_queen_28 asked:


All the websites tell me ‘don’t cook with a wine you wouldn’t drink’ – - since I’m allergic to the sulfites in wine, I don’t drink it.
So I’m totally stuck on what I need to buy for a chicken francais recipe that calls for ‘dry white wine’. Is there a brand? a type? – I really know nothing about what to buy.
As for the allergies, the sulfites are gone due to the cooking process so I can eat the meal I am making.
Please help. Thank you.
As for the organic wines contain no sulfites – you are incorrect. ALL wines contain sulfites, organics contain much less because they (generally) do not add more sulfites as a preservative. Due to my severe allergy (tongue swelling, throat closing) it is highly recommended that I do not ever drink wine, even the ‘organic’ or ‘no sulfites added’ wines.
Which is why I checked with my allergy specialist about consuming food cooked with wine – the sulfur dioxide (sulfites) totally disipate during cooking.

http://www.ecowine.com/sulfites.htm

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Apr/12/il/FP604120314.html

http://www.freywine.com/freywine/no-sulfites-added.html

It is a well know fact that wine has crept into all areas of our lives. You can find many people beginning to understand the differences in the wines as they take wine tasting classes or attend wine tasting events. These wine tasting events can happen anywhere you will find people interested in wines. And one such place where you will find wine tasting Chicago is probably not the first place that you would associate with wines and wine tasting.

While you may wonder why the windy city would be hosting events like this the answer is very simple. Wine and people mix well together in any city on the planet. For this reason you will be able to find places for wine tasting Chicago style. Instead of going to a winery you should get ready for a night out on the town tasting the various wines that have been set up for your drinking pleasure.

At these places you are sure to find old wine favorites like Cabernet Blanc, Merlot and Chardonnay wines mixed in with wines like Rojas, Gewürztraminer, and Viognier to name but a few of the wines that you can be sure of seeing. In many cases you will find that wine tasting Chicago style means that you can have these wine events in your homes or at a hotel where you will need to book the room where the wine tasting will be held.

You can also find places that have their own version of a wine tasting Chicago is full of these such places. There are many places that will host year-round wine tasting events. This means that even if you miss one of these wine tasting parties you can always attend another one. Since in many cases you will be the new person in coming to the wine tasting Chicago is the best place for you to meet new friends and learn more about the different wines.

While this event will not be held in a vineyard you will still find that there are experts in the wine trade who can help you to understand the differences that you may experience in the wines that you will select.

Having the help of these wine experts will enable you to develop your wine tasting Chicago style. So the next time that you are invited to a Chicago wine tasting event you should accept the invitation and see what new things you an learn at this wine tasting.



By: Muna wa Wanjiru

About the Author:

nzwino asked:

Bordeaux wines from Thirties, Forties & Fifties + NZ Cabernets from Sixties, Seventies & Eighties. Attended by wine makers and wine lovers from NZ, UK, South Africa, USA, Switzerland & Portugal, some of whom volunteered to open the bottles. The wine was decanted before serving.