Selecting the Right Wine: Entertaining Choices

Red wine? White wine? A rose perhaps? There are no hard and fast rules about what to have with or without food, indoors or outdoors, and so on – but Doulton Home is happy to give you some pointers.

It’s always best to plan ahead, according to the event, the guests, and the food.
Wine complements different types of food, but almost any dish can be matched with many types of wines. People have different palates and inclinations: everyone will make their own combinations.

Red Wine
Red wine
goes with meat, normally red meat and game birds (or pasta with tomato sauce). But context is all - a vintage Claret is more suited to a special occasion, such as an anniversary or wedding, rather than a picnic, where a Beaujolais would suffice.

White Wine
The popular choice with fish and poultry, but think about the occasion and the venue. For example, a traditional Sauvignon or white Burgundy is more suited to a formal dinner, where a strong New World Chardonnay may be ideal for a barbecue.

Rose
An increasingly popular drink – why not try a dry rose for an aperitif, especially if your guests are new to the delights of wine.

Champagne
Perfect for toasting at weddings, of course, and it’s a favourite with caviar (if it’s truly bone dry). And there are plenty of top quality sparkling wines to choose from.

Other tips and hints?

• A simple course leaves room for the wine to shine.
• In theory, a slightly sweetened or bitter course accentuates the dryness (acidity, tannins) of a red wine. You should thus avoid hard wines with sweet food.
• On the contrary, the more a dish is salty or acidic, the more the wine will taste soft. (This enables you to try wines for fresher climates.)
• If you have guests, you might serve up dry wine before sweet, taste young wines before old, and never have wines with salad…

It’s all a matter of personal taste – which brings us to the basics of Wine Tasting. If you are a novice, don’t be put off by high-sounding descriptions you hear on the media. Start with a third of a generous glass. Savour the bouquet with your nose. Try the taste and the after taste. Swirl the wine around to check its colour and it's "legs" (the slower wine dribbles back down the inside of the bowl, the stronger it is). If you are relaxing at home after a day at work, simply follow your nose on whether to have red or white, Old World or New World…

In short, make your own rules. The Gray Goose simply wants you to relax and enjoy – and find the right wine, glassware and decanters to suit you and your friends.