Make the Most of Your Meal: Choose the Right Wine

It has been said that pairing the perfect bottle of wine with a particular occasion - be it an opulent dinner party with many guests or just a relaxed happy hour with friends - is 99% preference and 1% science. While certain guidelines exist (heartier meals are often complemented with rich red wines, for example), choosing the right wine is largely a matter of personal tastes and lots of experimenting.

Safe Choices For informal happy hour get-togethers or cocktail parties attended by people who might not be accustomed to heartier, complex wine, you'll want to provide something a little less full-bodied. A soft Merlot or Pinot Noir is a good red wine choice while Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc are safe whites. If you prefer sweeter wines, Riesling and other dessert wines are often hits. When You Feel Like Experimenting One of the best ways to discover new favorite wines is to branch out from your normal brand and try other styles and labels. Ask friends about their favorites, read recommendations from wine experts, and don't be afraid to choose wrong; your failures in choosing wines will tell you as much about your preferences as your successes will. As you experiment with different wines you'll develop a sense of what you like and which wines are appropriate for certain occasions

Pairing Wine with Food
When choosing wine to go with a specific meal, consider what the key ingredients of that meal will be. Will you be eating red meat or white? What types of herbs will be used? Is the dish spicy or fruit-flavored? Generally, meals with a lighter flavor are best complemented by white wines and, as we mentioned earlier, hearty meals call for a robust red wine.

When in doubt, seek the advice of the guy behind the counter. The knowledgeable staff at your local wine merchant should be able to suggest a wine that is sure to make a good impression at your next dinner party or cocktail hour or make a nice addition to your wine rack.