Drinking Wines

Perfect for a brunch, holiday celebration, or a night on the town, champagne is a timeless beverage that possesses class and style. Although perfect on its own in a tall crystal glass, you may want to consider dressing up your bubbly a bit, and serving some delectable champagne cocktails. Recipes vary from the traditional to the outrageous, but all share the liquid gold of champagne that makes them a tremendous treat.

Ideal for serving at brunch, mimosas are a timeless beverage enjoyed by everyone from the suburban housewife to the Hollywood elite. Coupling champagne and orange juice is simple, and yet, exudes a sophistication that is unmatched by other brunch beverages. When creating your mimosas, pour one ounce of orange juice into your champagne flute, and add three ounces of champagne. Always be sure to add the champagne last, as it will mix beautifully without stirring. Cheers!

If an intimate dinner for two is what you?re toasting, strawberry champagne is the ideal cocktail. Start by filling your flute halfway with crushed ice. Top the ice with ? of a shot of vodka, followed by the same amount of strawberry brandy. Fill the glass with champagne, and garnish with a strawberry, of course! Toast to your love, and enjoy the seduction of this fine champagne night-cap.

Celebrating girls night out (or in!) or for that extra special luncheon, the morning glory champagne cocktail is marvelous. Pour two ounces of orange juice into your finest crystal flute, add ? of an ounce of triple sec, and fill the flute with champagne. This beverage looks remarkable topped with an orange wheel. What a beautiful combination of colors this drink boasts!

Taking champagne, the most classic beverage, and dressing it up is fun as a host (or hostess), and will delight your guests as well. Serving an already elegant beverage with a twist of creativity will add something unique and special to your gathering. Impress your party, and add class to your meal by complimenting champagne; the most celebratory beverage available!

? Cookgroup Marketing LLC - All Rights Reserved. This article brought to you by http://Your-Wine-Portal.com/ You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice, author name, and URL remain intact.

For many of us summer time means cooking on the grill. Human beings are hard-wired to get satisfaction from the combination of flame and food and summer is the perfect season to scratch that itch.

When you bring the kitchen outside, do not forget the wine cellar. Scientists figure that we can experience about 150 different flavor sensations. Wine made from grapes can trigger almost all of them, more than any other single food or beverage. What that means is that by adding any number of the wines of the world to the grilling menu you can turn an enjoyable experience into a memorable one?a little something you will appreciate in the middle of February.

You do not need an elaborate wine cooling system for outdoor dining but you do need to keep wine out of the sun, and if possible, try to keep it at wine-cellar-cool, around 55 degrees F.

Matching wine with food is more of an art than a science but there are some reliable guidelines that you can use to narrow your focus.

Heavy dishes, foods you chew hard with strong tastes, match up with full-bodied wines. Full-bodied usually means the reds but whites like Italian Malvasia and oaked California Chardonnay can also fill the bill.

Sweet dishes require sweet wines. This is really more of a rule than a guideline. Even an excellent dry wine paired with a sweet dish can create a sour or bitter taste.

Fatty dishes usually pair well with wines high in acidity like the Rieslings, Sauvignon Blancs and most sparkling wine.

Protein-rich dishes often match-up well with high tannin wines. The big reds are the usually the choice here with the Cabernets and Syrah at the top of the list. High tannin wines usually do not pair well with fish and other seafood or with salty dishes.

Here are a few wine-grill combinations that food editors have found particularly alluring.

Shrimp skewers: Shrimp marinated in olive oil, lime juice, onion, garlic and rosemary, skewered and briefly grilled. Wine: Pinot Grigio: light and crisp and fruity, with mild flavors of citrus and peaches.

Chicken legs: Marinated in oil and hot pepper sauce. Wine: Shiraz: soft and rich, with red berry flavors and the sweetness to go with the spice

Barbecued ribs: Grilled slowly and indirectly for hours, slathered with spicy, tomato-and-molasses-based sauce in the final minutes so it doesn’t burn. Wine: Syrah: Zingy, rich and spicy, with black plum flavors and the sweetness to match the ribs.

Pork chops: Butterfly them so they’ll cook through, marinate in oil and sage, and grill.. Wine: Riesling: soft and lightly sweet, with golden apple and peach flavors and a little hint of citrus.

New York strip steak: Marinate in garlic, olive oil and rosemary, crust it on the outside, red in the middle. For an extra special treat place the meat directly on white-hot charcoal. Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon: Big oak, big black cherry fruit, big tannins; a real steak wine.

Salmon: Marinate in soy sauce and a hint of oil, brush with maple syrup just before the grill. Wine: Grenache, Mourvdre, Syrah, Zinfandel: hugely rich and fruity, with moderate tannin.

Turkey breast with grilled vegetable chutney: Marinate breast in oil and Cajun spices. For the chutney, slice up onions, eggplant, and red and green bell peppers, marinate in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, grill briefly and chunk up into chutney. Wine: Chardonnay: a nice hint of oak to go with the grilling flavors.

Peaches, pears, pineapples, bananas: Brush them with a hint of oil. The caramelization produces a memorable flavor. Wine: M?nage a Trois Ros?: Lots of strawberry and light cherry flavors, just sweet enough to match the grilled fruit. Also makes a great basket picnic wine.

Peter Sabrage is South Florida gray-beard who enjoys the heck out of tasting, reading, and writing about food and wine. Peter contributes to Home-Winemaker.com

For many of us, there comes a point in our lives when we grow from random liquor or beer drinkers to wine drinking trainees. There are a few basics for beginning wine drinkers, and I assure you, choosing and drinking wine is most definitely easier than it looks.

With countless options in wine consumption, it is almost impossible to pick a wine you?re sure to love. Many of us try our first glass of wine, turn our nose up at it, and ask someone to pass the brewed stuff. The fact of the matter is there are too many wines to choose from to base your opinion on the first you encounter. Do not be afraid to try many wines, and waste a few bottles in your search. Surely I?m not the only one who has opened a bottle of wine, and thrown the entire thing out only lacking four ounces or so. Many people prefer to begin their wine consumption journey with a chardonnay or white zinfandel, as these are lighter, more palatable options. Deeper, darker wines, such as cabernets or merlots are typically ?worked up to?, but are often appreciated by the assimilated palette. If it?s red you?re after, begin with a nice pinot noir, as this is one of the lighter choices in red wines.

Believe it or not, choosing the proper wine glass is important. As disappointing as it may be, enjoying your favorite Shiraz just isn?t the same from Mom?s old Tupperware cups. Choosing a glass that is not only completely clear, but also true crystal will actually enhance the flavor the wine you pick. Not only will it magnify the experience, but you?ll appear so much more believable. No one will ever know that you didn?t know zinfandel is red.

Your Grandmother may keep that ?good cooking wine? in her fridge for decades, but please do not do this. Essentially, Granny is creating vinegar in that old ice box of hers, and this is not what you?re aiming for. Depending on the age of the wine, your bottle should be kept from 24 hours to one week, tops, and in the refrigerator at all times. Wine is not only perishable, but the flavor is also greatly affected by oxygen exposure. Corking your wine as soon as you?re done pouring will help, but if the wine is over five years old, chances are the flavor will lose some luster after 24 hours. All the more reason to share with your roommate, significant other, or even dear old Grandma.

Have fun, be experimental, and above all, don?t take your new hobby as a wine connoisseur too seriously. Wine consumption is all about leisure and relaxation. Take it for what it?s worth, and don?t be afraid to fake it ’till you make it.

? Cookgroup Marketing LLC ? All Rights Reserved. This article brought to you by http://Your-Wine-Portal.com/wines/. You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice, author name, and URL remain intact.

Jason Albright is a contributing editor at Cookgroup Marketing LLC. His background is with lifestyle topics including: Gardening, Outdoor Living, Home Decor, Travel Destinations and Food and Wine.