Wine 101

The great wide world of wine can be a scary thing. In a Wine 101 state of mind, it's not a good time to go to a place

to eat and have no idea what kind of wine to order. This is especially true if you are with another person. You may

actually be judged on how you make your wine 101 decision.

Well, choosing wine does not have to be a huge wine 101 task. You can make a reasonable choice most times.

The primary thing you need to understand is, wine 101 is a personal experience. You really don't have to go with everyone else on your decision. Let me make a case in

point.

When you were young, you were probably told a wine

101 factoid: there is a simple rule for selecting wine with a meal. If you are having red meat, choose a red wine. If you are having seafood or vegetarian, choose white. Poultry?

Perhaps a blush or pink wine.

Well, those are excellent starting points, but that's all they are. They are merely suggestions.

If you have little to no experience choosing wine, next time you go to a restaurant and you are confronted with the wine list, ask the waiter. They are trained to give you reasonable

advice, so don't be afraid to go with what they say.

Believe it or not, they do not make it a habit of telling patrons something really crazy so they can return to the kitchen

and laugh about your decision with the chef. Well, maybe in some of the ultra posh eating establishments, but do you

really want to eat there anyway?

After you are feeling a bit more confident, ask the waiter to suggest two wines that would go well with your food choice. Then, note the part of the wine list he is picking them from and then select your own slightly more expensive bottle.

Tell him something like "that sounds good, but you know what? I've always had good luck with this one" and then try to say the name of the wine correctly. Pick one you

know you can pronounce. The waiter will most likely say something like "excellent choice" and that's that.

Once the wine comes back and it's time to taste, don't bother with smelling the cork. That's just a wee bit too snobby.

Instead, just visually inspect the cork and make sure it's not cracked or otherwise in bad condition.

That's a sign that the wine has been stored improperly, like standing up instead of on its side. But you still be the judge. Never be afraid to send it back. They inflate the cost of wine about 5x from what you can buy it for, so it's no big loss to

them. And they'll probably mix it into the house wine anyway.

To get yourself feeling even more confident, go to your local

Beverages and More or similar store and purchase a few bottles each of white and red wine.

Pick some sweet and dry wines. They are usually marked in the descriptions above each selection of wine. Stay in the

$10 to $20 range with these selections. Bring them home and try a different bottle each night. See what you like. Drink with food and see what goes with what. What do you like to

drink with what food? That's the most important thing.

Next time you go to a restaurant, you'll feel much more confident in your wine selection, and your dining partner

won't feel like you're a wine fool. But remember something: please don't become a wine snob!

Visit Wine 101 http://ivorytowergroup.net/wine-101/ for

additional information.