Now that the holidays are just around the corner, prepare yourself with a fresh selection of your favorite wines. Use the information here so you are always ready to serve the right wine with whatever menu you have.

Pinot Grigio is a natural partner to a seafood meal. The flavor of this dish is enhanced by the wine. Ocean dishes are also complemented by other white wines. White wine and seafood is a classic combination.

Rely on Windex if you spill wine on your clothing. Windex is much better at fighting wine stains than regular soap and water. However, you do need to address the issue right away or you may not be successful in getting out the stain.

Store your wine in the proper element to keep it fresh and tasty. Extreme temperatures change how a wine will taste. Store wines between 50 and 55 degrees to be safe. Use a wine fridge or a closet to keep the temperature steady.

Consider joining an online wine forum. These forums are a fun way to learn a lot about wine, as well as making new friends. Prior to signing up, read over the boards to find out if you might enjoy joining.

Enjoy your wine more by serving it at the correct temperature. The temperature of red wine should be at approximately 60 degrees in order for the flavor to really shine. Pour the wine at about 58 degrees and let it warm up in your glass. Serve white wines at around 47 degrees. Getting them too warm can make them taste dull.

Not every white whine needs to be chilled before serving. The texture is one factor to consider in temperature choice. Chardonnay and pinot gris, for example, usually taste better when warm.

Wine lovers should visit wineries. These countries are beautiful to see; you can develop a great appreciation for them and gain some context on their origins.

Vintage represents the year of the grape harvest, not the bottling year of the wine. Typically, the harvest time is within the same year that the wine is dated. This is the time they would get fermented and then aged within barrels until it is time for the wine to be bottled. The wine probably didn’t hit store shelves until a year or so later.

When it comes to deciding what flavors you prefer, listen to your palate–not another person. If you like a wine, it must be a good wine. This is the rule you should live by. You must learn to trust your individual palate when selecting wine. If your friends dislike your wine, you get to have more of it!

Before partaking in a wine tasting, take the time to actually look at the wine’s color. Swirl the glass lightly and put your nose near the aperture to breathe in the wonderful scent. The next step is to sip the wine, just a little will do, and then spit it out.

Wine comes in many different flavors. Know what wines you’re interested in before visiting the liquor store. The information from the above article should be sufficient to choose wines that work with your food selections.

By Laura