TIP! Get to know your local wine shop. Not every shop is the same.

Wine has been around since early times and there are many different varieties to choose from. Sometimes buying or drinking wine can be frustrating. If you are ready to get serious about understanding wine, this is the article for you.

TIP! You can make a delicious sauce for beef dishes with wine. Start by adding s tablespoonful of butter and a dash of red wine to your saucepan.

Trust your instincts when you purchase wine. Although you will hear all kinds of different opinions from your family, friends, and wine experts, the truth is that individual preferences always vary. If you really like an inexpensive white, go ahead and buy it! The important thing, above all else, is to indulge in a wine that you truly enjoy.

TIP! Think about your taste buds when you buy wine. Professionals will offer different opinions, but it all boils down to your specific taste.

Keep your reds and whites in proper glasses. Narrow glasses are used for white wine because it helps to prevent warm air from making contact with the wine. Wide glasses are preferable when you are serving red wine. A wider glass will let more air get into the glass, awakening the flavor as it reaches the air.

TIP! Reds and whites must be served in correct glassware. A narrow wine glass is better for your white wines, which limits that warm air that touches the wine.

Try different wines frequently. You can experience different regions by trying their wines. Try wines from all different regions, including ones you may see on the bottom shelf. Why limit yourself when there are so many opportunities to discover your next favorite wine?

When you order wine in a restaurant, be adventurous. Choose a different wine to impress your fellow dinner guests. Your guests may be intrigued by your choice.

TIP! Consider a visit to the region where your favorite wine comes from. Your appreciation of wine will grow as you experience the process of growing and harvesting wine grapes.

Don’t always believe everything you are told, even if the person claims to be a wine expert. The greatest sommeliers are those who are willing to admit biases and mistakes. Plus, your tastes will differ in at least some ways from his. Do not take their word as gospel.

TIP! If you are someone who loves wine, it can be enjoyable to visit wine country. This will give you a firsthand look at the long process that goes in to wine making.

Champagne and sparkling wines should be served when they are very cold. Otherwise, they lose flavor and appeal. Chill your champagne inside the refrigerator up to two hours before you consume it.

TIP! In order to reuse a bottle, or for easier recycling, be sure you know how to remover the label from an empty bottle. The easiest way to put the bottle inside an oven until it’s hot.

Sign up as a member of an Internet wine forum. You will pick up a lot of good tips from other Internet users, and you can share your knowledge as well. Another member may suggest a wine that becomes your new favorite.

TIP! Plan on visiting a nearby winery if you enjoy fine wine. Set a budget and make sure someone else will drive you home.

Drink white wine during the very first year or so, while the grapes are still young. The exception would be Chardonnay. Chardonnays are fermented in oak barrels, typically. This is not true of other whites. The rule may be flipped for many varieties of reds on the market.

TIP! Color is not a factor in terms of a wine’s lightness. Red wines and white wines have equal amounts of alcohol.

Desserts can be easily complimented with a number of different wines. These wines are usually sweeter than most wines you might drink with your meal. Port wines are a great category to take advantage of with your dessert. Try to keep these wines around an environment that is approximately 55 degrees.

TIP! The wine’s vintage is the year the grapes were harvested. If a label states “2010” on the label, that can mean the grapes were harvested in the fall of that year.

With your increased knowledge of wine, a menu or wine store should no longer intimidate you. You can buy it, serve it, store it or drink it in the bathtub, if you wish. You will be a wine expert before you know it.