1. Best wine last = not true
Do not save the best wine until the end of the meal. If you have a dinner with several courses and several wines, people are a bit tired and talkative at the end and less inclined to pay attention to the wine being served. If you have a real treasure you want people to appreciate, serve it early in the evening.
2. White with cheese = true
Most people drink red wine with cheese. And often it is fine. But a white wine is sometimes even better. An aromatic white, like a Sancerre, with French goat cheese is a classic combination. But also with Brie and Camembert a white is so much better. For these cheeses, drink a full bodied wine, with a hint of oak if you like. A hard cheese like a well matured Comté is perfect with a white from the Jura region. And if you want to drink a dry wine with a blue cheese a white is definitely better. One of the worst combinations is red wine and blue cheese.
3. Pairing wine & food = use common sense
To combine wine and food does not have to be complicated. Common sense is often enough. Lighter food need lighter wine etc. With a rich and heavy cassoulet stew you would serve a rich wine, with mild veal maybe a pinot noir. If you serve really spicy food, be careful. A lot of spices tend to kill the aromas of the wine, so choose something not too sophisticated. And if you are really longing for a certain type of wine it will be delicious with whatever you eat. Don’t be a slave to the rules!
4. Good glasses!
Always serve wine in wine glasses that are not too small, are not coloured and with a bowl that closes a bit towards the top! And they don’t need to cost a fortune.
5. Reds cooler, whites warmer
Plan ahead so that your wines are served at good temperature. That is, the whites not too cold and the reds not too warm. Sparkling wine can be served directly from the refrigerator but most other white wines should be served a little bit warmer, at around 8-10 degrees C. However, as a rule, it is better to start a little bit too cool, the wine will warm up in the glass. For the reds, room temperature is too warm, try to serve them at around 16-18 degrees. Not over 20!
