What Type of Wine Best Suits an Occasion

It is not easy to know what type of wine best suits an occasion

In this post, we’ll cover some simple tips that have helped us to know what type of wine best suits an occasion

• The standard theory
• Wine boosts togetherness
• Don’t go for ‘crazy old fools’!
• It takes two to tango
• Stay tuned

Lets start from top

Ignorance is bliss

It was a dull evening and I was strolling back home exhausted. It was one of the worst evenings of my life. I had just broken up with my girlfriend or in fact, to put it better way, SHE had broken up with me, leaving me devastated, and at that moment, the only thing on my mind was this poem:

Oh I long for a wine bitter

Powerful n strong to beat a man sturdier

So I can but for a moment rest at will

And escape the world’s all mischief and evil..!

(Hafiz, Persian Poet)

As you might have guessed, all I needed was some liquor, and what could have been better than a good wine. But what kind of wine would suit my mood? I had already learned about some varieties of wine but I still didn’t know which one to choose for a special occasion like this one. So I guessed there must be some knowledge out there and I had to find it.

This incident started me off on a path to find the connections between wines and occasions and here are some tips I’m going to share with you.

The standard theory

You might think that wine is wine but actually wine is not wine, I mean wine is wine but there are components to everything, and I mean everything. This is what particle physics teaches us, the whole world is made up of particles and so is wine. Some might think wine is a kind of liquor and liquor is something to take away your consciousness, but bad news is this is not the case, and if you still doubt it, think of the academic major called ‘enology’, that is, the scientific study of wines. So if you’re convinced, let’s go on. In fact, just at the surface, there are a number of factors to consider and you already know them: there is age, sweetness, dryness, varietals, fruit tones, etc.

To begin with, there are no hard and fast rules on the choice of wine on an occasion and it highly depends on personal preferences. However, there are some general rules you could follow. For instance, white wines are generally lighter and suit the earlier part of the evening or before a main course while red wines are heavier and have a more complex nature, being more suitable for the latter part of an evening or after a main course. Red wines usually have full, bold bodies and might taste heavy for novice drinkers.

Generally speaking, white wines usually go with lighter meals like desserts whereas red wines are often paired with heavier meals and go with main courses.

• One golden rule: always bear in mind that wine is supposed to strengthen the taste of the food you’re having it with, NOT replace it!

Wine boosts togetherness

Who doesn’t like to throw a party where everyone is happy? You would definitely not want to see all your attendees sitting down bored as f**k waiting for the clock to strike the midnight hour so they can leave, n’est ce pas? So if you don’t want to see such a grotesque sight, remember that the choice of liquor plays a crucial role. But fear not, it’s not that difficult. First of all, if your party is made up of different stages and different meals, try to analyze the different stages of your gathering and choose the drinks accordingly. I will offer you some combinations in the next part for sure and you can use those tips. Fortunately, you should know that the guests usually pick their drinks early on and then stick with it till the end of the evening, so once you’ve given them proper options, you needn’t worry for the rest of the evening.

Furthermore, if you’re still not sure and you want to really be on the safe side, try democracy; you can give your guests a choice and they know what type will suit them best for sure. However, in case you decide to offer a choice, remember to include white and red wines both in your options as Nevertheless, in order to please everyone, you need to know every single taste in your gathering and this is only the case if you have a handful of friends over, and that’s super easy then. But you’re not always that lucky, so if you’re having one of those big parties where people of different walks of life are haphazardly brought together in one setting, you need to go for a crowd-pleaser, that is, a kind of wine that you know will please almost everyone; A kind that most people are familiar with and know the taste. In this case, what could definitely please you and everyone will be Pinot Noir; a safe choice that everyone knows and everyone has some experience with. It’s a popular varietal that is familiar to everyone but still has some clout. The grape also has a familiar taste that pleases most people. The other advantage is the price; you could buy a bottle for a reasonable price.

Another group-appealing varietal is Merlot. This is also a varietal that most people know and have experience with. Merlot has a balanced combination of body and lightness that appeal to most tastes. It is a sort of wine that can go with a variety of dishes whether it be poultry, lamb, pork, or any other type of meat dish.

Further still, more often than not, you might have some wine drinkers among your attendees, those so-called wine connoisseurs who have a taste in wine. This is a tricky occasion and you have to be careful with it. One option you could go for is Chardonnay; a varietal highly popular with wine connoisseurs. It is a medium-bodied white wine with crisp notes of pear, guava, lemon-peel, and apple. It is also a perfect match with rich tastes and food that comes with thick creamy sauces.

people are divided among both categories. And also don’t forget that if you are serving a hearty meal, your menu must have red wine on it.

Don’t go for ‘crazy old fools’!

As I mentioned earlier, age is a factor in choosing a wine for your occasion. In fact, traditionally, there is always demand for aged wine. But I guess this rule is over-estimated. The oldest wine is not necessarily the best wine. Some wines lose their quality over time. For instance, white wines that have fruity tones tend to lose their flavor over time and they taste best when they are young. On the other hand, red wines usually mature as they age, making them a perfect choice when you opt for aged wines. Riesling, for instance, is a varietal that improves with age.

Age sometimes matters because of some traditions. One of these traditions concerns birthday occasions. Some people traditionally tend to bring wine from the person’s birth year as a gift. This is particularly difficult and of course classic, and if you do find the wine, you wouldn’t want it to contradict your good intentions. So choose the wine carefully and choose a varietal that has matured over time. Go for red wine and make safe choices like Bordeaux or Riesling; these varietals improve with age.

It takes two to tango

Like humans, wines need a partner to show their best, they must be paired with something so they can reveal their unique taste; after all, one of their major roles is to accentuate the taste of the food being eaten. Rarely does it occur when wines are drunk alone unless they are drunk for the sake of solely getting drunk and we all know that. Of course, there are occasions when they accompany you in your loneliness, being your only lover when everyone has left you- like in my case! Therefore, wine is an integral part of our social and personal life; they are present in our gatherings, in our parties, in our friendly outings, and even in our private times with our better halves, and more often than not, there is food present in the event. So knowing how to pair them with other food is of high importance and as usual, I have made a list of tips you could use;

• Heavy meals

As mentioned before, red wines are often full-bodied and are usually accompanied by heavier heartier meals, like red meat or grilled meat. They are a perfect choice for the second half of an occasion when both food and spirits have ripened in the people attending the event. So if you’re serving rich food, definitely go for best red wine. On the other hand, white wines are a perfect company during the first half of an event, usually served with light food. They are also a good match for desserts, as desserts are usually light. Dry wines can also complement lighter dishes.

To give more rundown on rich food; if the food served is a spicy one, opt for crisp wines, an example being Riesling. Riesling is an incredibly sweet wine with a floral scent. It carries a tone of peaches, apricots, pears or nectar of apples. And remember what I already said in the previous section; it’s a varietal whose taste is enhanced with aging.

Another type of wine that matches well with a dish of red meat is Red Bordeaux. If your dish is a heavy one mostly consisting of red meat, you need to drink something to actually wash all the fat down and Red Bordeaux is the one you would be looking for. Red Bordeaux is a Merlot-based wine having the savory taste of a cab and the softness of Merlot in it. Another varietal suitable for such a heavy dish would be Sparkling Rosé. The bubbles of such sparkling wine will break the fat down and help you have a light stomach afterward. Depending on what your preferences are, in fact, any red sparkling varietal would also do the job for you.

Speaking of sparkling wine, they are the right choice if you want to cheer up or elevate your spirits. Their refreshing nature is undeniable, and believe me those bubbles can do magic but still, it all depends on your preferences and experience.

Remember merlot as a crowd-pleaser? Well, as I said, it’s a type of wine with a balanced mix that can appeal to most tastes. It will suit a vast range of foods and it can come handy in difficult times.

What if your dish mainly included spicy food? Well, Shiraz would be a good complement to it. It goes well with spicy food and can be a fiery companion for your burning sensation. Shiraz is a perfect choice with roasts and barbeques as well.

Well, that’s enough for now I guess and I’ll give you more tips in the next chapter of this article. But let me tell you something, don’t be intimidated at all by all these meticulously described combinations you see everywhere. Besides, you don’t have to be an expert to make the right choice and combination. Just give yourself time to experience, try as many varietals as you can, broaden your range of choices and ponder over each of them and you will gradually develop an expert’s taste of wine. And remember, some people spend a whole lifetime studying different types of wine.

And a final word to emphasize what I just said; despite all the rules, just drink something you enjoy. These rules are just there to help you have more fun if you don’t know what to do; otherwise, you can drink whatever that makes you feel good and that’s what it’s all about, ha? For instance, if you’re drinking a special wine every day and you would like to go for it with your dish, then do it, there’s nothing wrong with it as long as you enjoy it.

Stay tuned

Well, in fact, there are more varieties and more dishes to match wines with and my list is not yet over. Actually, the list could go forever; remember enology and those who study it? Well, that sort of thing I mean. But anyways, there are more occasions and wines and dishes that I’m going to write about but I’ll leave them for the next chapter of this article. I wouldn’t want to overload you at one go. So wait till the next part appears here and you will have more rundown on all these combinations and occasions. In the next part, I’ll tell you about the break-up wine too. So don’t break up until then, let’s drink together to that!