Great Wine Experience

Here are a few tips for having a great wine experience:

• Drink dry wines before sweet
• Drink white wine before red (if you choose to switch types during the evening)
• Hold your wine glass from the stem to avoid changing the temperature and making smudges

How to determine if you prefer sweet or dry wines.

• Tasting something bitter like a lemon will make wine seem sweeter. If you enjoy bold flavour look at grape varieties such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot, shiraz, and chardonnay. Countries with hot climates like California and Australia would be ideal for seeking sweeter wine.
• Tasking something sweet like a marshmallow will make wine seem bitter. If you enjoy a mild taste look at grape varieties such as pinot noir, riesling, sauvignon blanc and tempanillo. Countries with mild climates like Spain, France, and Germany would be ideal for seeking dryer wine.

The "Food" section of the Ottawa Citizen on Wednesday, "Food and Drink" publication at the LCBO, and the free e-newsletter from www.winecurrent.com are great information sources for wine reviews and popular brands.