The Wine Guide
Not sure what wines to serve with beef versus chicken? What about the differences in the types of grapes? Not sure how to pronounce Gewürztraminer? We have assembled several sites for you to review, including apps for your mobile devices.
General Information
- Wine Basics
- Wine Coach
- Reading a Wine Label
- Taste Wine Like a Pro
- Impress Your Date
- Wine Enthusiast
- Wine Street Talk
- Varietals
A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.[1][2] Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot. Wines that display the name of two or more varieties on their label, such as a Chardonnay-Viognier, are blends and not varietal wines.
Wine Pairings
- 6 Basic Rules
- Real Men Drink Wine
- Ask Chef Tony
- Wine on Game Day
- 15 Pairing Rules
- Matching Food & Wine
Even junk food deserves the right beverage (and it doesn’t always have to come from a can). Here are some wine match-ups to try during the big game!
Here, the cardinal rules for matching up wines and food, from dry rosé and cheesy dishes to malbec and sweet-spicy barbecue sauces.
Fiona Beckett shares advice on matching the ideal wine to everything from beef, lamb, poultry, fish, and wild game, to cheese, desserts, fruit, and pastas. This is a great resource with lots of valuable information.
Pronunciations
Correctly pronouncing wine names is one way to keep from irritating a wine snob; the following table can help you out. The stressed syllable in each word is italicized; if no syllable is italicized, all syllables carry equal weight.
Mobile Apps
Need Help Shopping for Wine? There’s an app for that. Most wine apps are designed for uber enthusiasts and wine snobs. Hello Vino is a free app for the rest of us. Hello Vino can help you choose the right wine for your special occasion.
Download the official App of Laurie Forster, The Wine Coach® whose mission is to demystify wine one glass at a time! Laurie is one of the country’s leading wine experts, radio show hosts and the author of the award-winning book, The Sipping Point: A Crash Course in Wine.
Sleekly designed app favored by wine journalists, sommeliers, and winemakers. Being able to see what knowledgeable users are drinking and following their tasting notes is one of this app’s big strengths.
Vivion’s “Wine Explorer” feature allows you to search the wine database of 8 million labels, using multiple filters. It also offers direct links to a retailer right on the wine page, so you can make purchases easily.