Fine Wine and Spirits

Pair food and wine is not easy task. Let's face it: the selection of a wine to go with dinner is often limited to what wine happens to be in the house that evening. Still, a consensus has developed over the years that the taste of many of the foods we eat is enhanced when the food is matched with certain wines.

Since the pairing of food and wine is a subject that seems to be a source of anxiety for many people, we have tried to lay out some general thoughts on the subject. We have also listed a number of common dishes with wine suggestions (many of which we have in stock).

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Bear in mind that, mercifully, taste is unique to each of us, and you may disagree with the information described here. If so, great! Send us your own ideas for the perfect match. We're always interested in new ideas.

Examples of pairing food and wine

In general, the weight and intensity of the food should match, or complement, the weight and intensity of the wine you have selected. That's essential when trying to pair food and wine correctly.

Example 1:
A grilled New York strip steak is a heavy dish with a lot of flavor. A dish of this type needs to be paired with a full bodied, flavorful wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, or a red wine from France's Rhone River region, such as a Gigondas from the south or a Cotie Rotie from the north.

Example 2:
Broiled filet of sole served with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice is a very light dish that would be blown away by the wines described above. A dish of this nature needs to be paired with a lighter, more delicate wine like a Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Vouvray, or Pinot Grigio.

Relatively fatty dishes, fried foods, or dishes with cream sauces, can benefit by being paired with wines with a relatively high acidity that can cut through the fat and cleanse the palate. In this case, the wine acts more as a contrast to the food, rather than as a match.

Example 1:
Fish served with a rich cream sauce can be paired nicely with a dry Alsatian Riesling or with a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand or France's Loire River Valley.

Example 2:
Grilled sausages go really well with red wines such as Chianti or Beaujolais, that are relatively acidic.

Foods that are acidic themselves (tomato sauces, vinaigrettes, the above mentioned filet of sole with lemon juice) also benefit from matches with acidic wines.

Example 1:
Pasta or pizza served with a tomato sauce naturally goes well with Chianti (what a surprise!).

Example 2
The lemon juice in the filet of sole seems to call for an acidic white wine like a French Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre, Pouilly Fume). In this case, the pairing serves as a contrast rather than a match or complement. Note that Chardonnay is generally not very acidic, and may not perform well in this example.

Simple foods are best matched with simple wines unless you are really trying to showcase the wine. Conversely, complex sauces go well with complex wines, as they can make simple wines taste bland or flat.

Example 1:
A simple roast chicken dish could go well with an un-oaked Australian Chardonnay or a French Chablis, but would be overwhelmed by more complex white Burgundies or high-end California Chardonnays.

Example 2:
Escalopes de Veau Sautées a l'Estragon (Sauteed Veal Scallops with Taragon) would be a great match for full-flavored white Burgundies or high-end California Chardonnays. 

Use these examples of pairing food and wine and enjoy your time. Try some wine cocktails like sangria and you will get instant summer portion of refreshness for sure.

Check below what kind of ingredients you will need for preparing red wine sangria, peach sangria, classic Spanish sangria, watermelon sangria and white wine sangria. Keep in mind that you can change the type of wine according to your taste. The below sangria recipes can be always modified, because finding the right taste of the best red or white wine sangria is a personal task of every wine lover.

Dry Red Wine Sangria Recipe – Classic Spanish Sangria

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Dry White Wine Sangria with Peaches, Grapes and Some Vodka

 

 

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 Traditional Spanish Sangria Recipe 

Another Famous Spanish Sangria Recipe

Watermelon Sangria Recipe with White Wine

 

 

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Tips on making great homemade wine

The well known Porto Cobbler wine cocktail is really loved by all fans of fine wine and cigars. The combination is perfect for great relax and enjoying of life. So, straight to the point. Check below what you are going to need to prepare your Porto Cobbler wine cocktail and the exact steps that you have to make.

You need the following ingredients:
- Fortified red wine - 80 ml
- Dry red wine - 40 ml;
- Watermelon syrup - 30 ml;
- Light cocoa liquor - 15 ml. 

To prepare Porto Cobbler wine cocktail you must have a Boston shaker, strainer, jigger and spoon.
All the components are mixed in a shaker, then pour the ready drink through a strainer into a glass and decorate with mint, raspberry or blackberry. This cocktail is served with a spoon for better taste.
 
The cocktail goes perfectly with fine cigars and you will quickly realize that even afer your first smoke. The unique taste of the fortified wine and the watermelon syrup will make your evenings really perfect. If you manage to follow the wine recipe carefully then you will feel the taste of prunes at the end the end of your sip, something very strange because they absent in this wine cocktail. It is just one of the miracles of the wine mixology - combine the ingredients and get new unexpected flavors.

Porto Cobbler wine cocktail will make your life better if you are huge cigar lover. Try it ones and you will see the slight difference between it and the rest of the cocktails which you have already tried.

White peach sangria is great refreshing summer wine cocktail suitable for any occasions. This white wine sangria recipe includes very common ingredients which you already have in your home or can easy find in the local store. The pleasant flavor of the fresh peaches and the chilled white wine will definitely make your day better. Check out below what you need to prepare this original and refreshing summer wine cocktail.

Before you check out the ingredients below you have to know that all of them should be chilled. If you fail to do that, then you have to add a lot of ice cubes in the cocktail and the water will make your white peach sangria flavorless and not so refreshing as you wanted. So, keep that in mind before you start anything.

Ingredients for White Peach Sangria:

1. One bottle of chilled white wine - 750 ml or 25 oz
2. Club soda - 1 bottle or 10 oz (chilled of course)
3. Peach schnapps - 1/2 cup or 5 oz
4. Two tablespoons orange liqueur
5. Three or four fresh peaches sliced as you want
6. Two or three mint leaves for better flavor

How to prepare this White Peach Sangria

Find out your best punch bowl after you make sure that all ingredients are chilled. Then you can start with the white wine. If you want more fruity and sweet taste, then you can use any Moscato wine. Sauvignon Blanc always has a little bit herbal character and Chardonnay wines have rich citrus flavor with some hints of vanilla and melon. So, you can choose from these three popular types of white wines according to your taste and desires. Just do not forget that in this white peach sangria we are going to use sweet liqueurs, so looks like Sauvignon Black is your better option if you do not want to drink too sweet sangria.

After that everything is easy and all you have to do is to add the ingredients without the peaches in the bowl and mix them well. Add the peaches at last, otherwise you risk your white peaches sangria to become too cloudy with a lot of small  parts of the peaches swimming in the bowl.

As you see, it is really easy to prepare white peach sangria. This recipe will take you less than 5 minutes and after that all you have to do is to put a slice of peach in your glass and drink your homemade white peach sangria with your family and friends. You will see, that it is great refreshing summer wine cocktail, which will easy become a part of your hot summer days.

Check out how to prepare Traditional Sangria

     The refreshing drinks like sangria are perfect way to reload your body and mind with more energy and power. Traditional and original sangria in one of the best mixed wine drinks which will give you the great opportunity to enjoy the astonishing taste of wine and fruits in the hot summer days. Check out below how to make it in your home and share the recipe for that awesome sangria with your friends.

The first thing to remember when it comes to creating refreshing drinks at home is to use fresh and tasty ingredients; relying solely on ingredients which come in cartons or bottles will more than likely defeat the point of you making your own fruit punch. When people think of summer fruit punches and drinks to go with barbequed food, they will probably think of Pimms, Sangria or ginger beer and these firm favourites are difficult to get wrong even if you're a novice when it comes to cocktails, alcoholic or non alcoholic.

A simple sangria recipe will consist of the following basic ingredients: red wine, orange juice, rum, brandy and slices of fresh orange and fresh lemon. As with all things it can be tempting to add other ingredients to try and spice things up but remember to keep things simple, these recipes tend to be well tried and tested! If you can, choose fair trade red wine from your local supermarket as this way you will not only be getting a great product but you will also be supporting both farmers and producers from across the world and your local community. The same goes for the oranges and lemons and the orange juice you decide to use; in fact, if you can and you have the time, freshly squeezed orange juice will give your sangria a real depth of flavour and a natural sweetness that will keep you going back for more.

You can of course make ginger beer from scratch but if you're short on time and you want to create a delicious non-alcoholic ginger punch, here are the basics of a great ginger beer recipe: fresh orange juice, sugar, mint leaves, good quality ginger beer and sparkling water. Mixing these ingredients together makes for a deliciously spicy fruit punch that's great for the children as well as the adults.

Check out this simple sangria recipe or for a delicious non-alcoholic alternative, try this quick ginger beer recipe.     

Sangria recipe - refreshing quick recipe for preparing the special traditional Spanish sangria. It is really easy to make sangria in your home, and there are numerous reipes. But there is nothing like the taste of traditional sangria. Check out below the useful information which will help you to try the best cocktail in your life.

You can make your own Sangria drink while you are at home and become an expert at making the best Sangria drinks that anyone has ever tried. There are definitely no secrets to this recipe and many people enjoy being able to make it quickly and in large quantities for parties. You can pretty much drink Sangria whenever you feel like it, but it is really a summer drink which is when you will enjoy it the most. Some restaurants in Spain will only serve Sangria drinks during the summer time while other restaurants serve the drink all year round. Depending on where you go, you can buy Sangria with a mild amount of alcohol in them or with heavier amounts. Restaurants will normally serve mild Sangrias while bars will serve Sangrias with heavy alcohol and flavoured liquors.

Now that you know a little about the Sangria drink from Spain, it is time to make your own. You will first want to make sure that you have the right kind of pitcher to put your Sangria drink in. It's best to use either a glass pitcher or a stainless steel pitcher so that your drink will stay nice and cold and you can make a decent amount.

As for the ingredients, you will need red wine, orange liquor, orange juice, and then a variety of fruits and berries. Make sure that you choose a selection of in-season fruits and include citrus fruits to give your Sangria a refreshing edge. Blend your mixture together to taste and then add either some sparkling water or some lemonade to add a bit of fizz! To get the best taste you should let the mixture sit in your fridge overnight or at least for a few hours, this way it will not only be perfectly chilled but the flavours will have had a chance to infuse and develop, making it a delicious drink for all.

Check out this perfect Sangria recipe and follow a simple ginger beer recipe for something a bit different at your next party or Saturday night in.      

       Old original sangria is great cocktail and favorite drink of whole Spain. The recipe is very simple and you can make your awesome sangria without any problems. You can even make your own variations and you will be able to fully understand of uniqueness of Sangria.
       
The main ingredient of original and authentic Sangria is red wine and this is mixed with a variety of fruit (anything from apples, oranges and lemons) and freshly squeezed orange juice. Honey can sometimes be added to add sweetness and fizzy water, lemon juice and a spirit such as brandy can also be added for depth of flavour. The wine used in Sangria does not have to be expensive but it makes sense if it fairtrade as this is sustainable as well as being delicious and obviously the nicer the wine, the nicer the end result will be.

Sangria is a colourful drink originating from Spain and is popular thanks to its fresh and tasty ingredients which are combined to make a seriously refreshing drink, whether you're after an alcoholic of non-alcoholic punch. The wine base is only for those who wish to include alcohol and a virgin version can be stirred up just as easily using grape juice or non-alcoholic wines which are widely available in local supermarkets. Many people serve Sangria when the sun comes out because it is sweet and fruity but it is just as good to warm the cockles on a cold night, especially if spices such as cinnamon and ginger are added for that little kick. There are many different variations of Sangria and no one version is necessarily better, it is essentially down to personal tastes and preference.

Because there are many suitable options for alcoholic inclusions as well as types of fruits to be used, the final product can vary greatly for Sangria but each has its own unique taste that delights people everywhere. What is more, although the ingredients may vary greatly, there is no question that the good taste of Sangria is perfect for any celebration and can be a very quick solution of what to give friends to drink at short notice.

Create a non alcoholic version which the whole family can enjoy by using a blend of fresh fruit juices and fizzy water and get the kids involved in making it too. If you're not a fan of red wine, look for a sangria recipe which uses white wine instead and play around with the ingredients and quantity until you're left with a recipe that suits your tastes and which you can make over and over again. Just remember though that are hundreds of recipes for Sangria online so mix it up and a try a new one every now and again!

   Check out -HOW TO PREPARE TRADITIONAL SANGRIA