Red or White?

People often ask me this question in one form or another: “What is best, red or white?”  It’s a very simple question.  The answer is not so simple.

We all have seen very passionate statements from wine experts and food enthusiasts about how red wine should only go with beef and white wine should only go with fish.  In my opinion, these kind of statements are so simple that they can be the wrong answer for you.

I always start out by recommending that people have fun trying different kinds of wines no matter what color the wine may be.  The more you try out different wines, the more experienced your palate will become.  Wine excites your palate.  A few sips of wine before eating food will always bring out a higher level of taste experience no matter what the food may be.

You should try wines from different countries.  You should try wines from places that you may never have thought about as being wine-producing countries.  I would suggest wines from countries like Austria, Chile and South Africa, just to name three.

You should develop an awareness about wine so that you can say you have a favorite wine or two or three or four favorite wines.  When it comes to picking a wine for a meal, it never hurts to pick a wine that you consider a favorite wine.  Forget the rules about what color wine is best.  If you like red wine with fish, don’t let anyone try to tell you what to do or not to do.

If you like sparkling wine, there is nothing wrong with having a glass of sparkling wine before a meal.  I actually think this is one of the best ways to get people loosen up at a cocktail party!  The one thing that you want to watch out for is having any wine that for any reason overwhelms the taste of the food you are having.  Some really sweet wines may not be appropriate at the start of a meal, for example, because a sweet taste on your palate will probably mask the taste of the food.  Take care also when changing wines through the course of a meal: moving from light white wines to heavier red wines is fine as your palate discovers more and more flavors, but moving back to a lighter wine will only disappoint you as your palate is already saturated with much stronger flavors.

I also recommend trying wines of varying price points and that you should stay away from the so-called “cheap wines” because they may not deliver the best wine and food experience for you.  What is a “cheap” wine is entirely subjective, but as a general rule, I believe that it is not a good idea to buy a wine that costs less than around $10 to $15 per bottle.  I also avoid wine that comes packaged in cardboard containers.  The opposite end of the spectrum is also worth mentioning here.  Just because you go for an “expensive” wine, you may not get the best wine and food experience.  Just because a wine is “expensive” does not necessarily mean that it will taste “expensive” when you drink it.  So, it’s always best to try affordable wines that won’t ruin your budget.