With the upcoming holiday season, you’ll want the wine cooler stocked with tasty wine for guests. use these tips to pick great wines for various occasions and foods.

The next time you need to clean up a wine stain, grab some Windex. Windex will rid your shirt of the stain better than the traditional soap and water method. Clean it up as soon as possible. Letting the stain sit will make it significantly harder to clean.

Proper wine storage can preserve flavors well. Temperatures that are either too hot or too cold can alter the taste of your wine. The right temperature to store wine is between 50 and 55 degrees. Your basement might work, or buy a fridge for just wine.

Wine Cellar

If you drink and cook with wine frequently, especially pricier varieties, it may be worthwhile to have your own wine cellar installed. This is key if you own pricey wines that you plan to drink down the road. A wine cellar keeps the wine drinkable for as long as you want to store it.

The warnings for sulfite on wine labels should not scare you. All wines are going to contain some sulfites, but it’s the American made versions that must show a warning. Sulfites may cause rare allergic reactions. Try not to worry too much about them if you’ve never had a reaction before.

Some wine does not age well, so realize this before you store wine away for a long time. You’ll need to research how well your wines age for optimal drinkability. Bordeaux is an example of wine that ages well.

Try to keep a lot of wine on hand. It’s not enough just to have a selection of red wines in your collection. In order to be the ideal host, offer various kinds of wine, such as red, white, sparkling and sweet.

Be careful to wait until your sparkling wines and champagnes are very cold before serving. Drinking such wine warm will hinder all of its flavors. Store your champagne in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

A dessert wine makes a perfect after dinner drink. Some great selections would be French Champagne, Italian Moscato, or even California Port. Sipping on this wine after you eat allows you to relax and wind down after a great meal.

Consume white wines that are young and in their first couple of years. The only exception to this is Chardonnay. That’s because usage of oak is rare in white wines. The reverse is true for the many varieties of red wines.

If you are serving your wine, you need to have good wine glasses. The stemware should look the part and sparkle. Keep your stemware clean and prepared for the next tasting. If you have stemware that is chipped or outdated, invest in new pieces.

When you taste a wine, tilt your glass ever so slightly and examine the hue. Swirl the wine around and breathe in the smell. Try putting a little in your mouth and spitting it out.

Wine is good for cooking and for drinking by itself. Red wines can coax out the flavor of meat. White wine can also be used when cooking seafood dishes such as fish or scallops. Just a splash added to your favorite recipe can make quite a difference!

There are many wines out there, from dark red to fruity wines. Anytime you visit a store that sells wine, make sure that you are aware of what you are looking for. The tips provided in this article are an excellent resource for ensuring that you make the best possible wine decision.