Choosing that perfect bottle of wine for your next picnic or dinner party can seem like a daunting task. But once you understand the basics, you can find something that everyone will enjoy.
What if you could pick a great bottle of wine and support U.S. veterans while you’re at it? At Warrior Wine, which is a local Austin wine club, we can help you do both. We’ve compiled our top tips for finding the right type of wine, and we’re sharing how you can support U.S. veterans with your purchase.
When picking a bottle of wine, the first thing you should understand is the spectrum of sweet to dry. Think of dry wine as the difference between dark chocolate and the sweet milk chocolate you find in common candy bars. Some people mistakenly think that dry wine contains less of a fruity taste, but this is incorrect. Dry wine is simply wine that has less sugar than sweet wine.
During the wine fermentation process, the yeast starts to eat sugar in the fruit juice. To make the wine sweet, the winemaker will stop the fermentation process before the yeast has consumed all of the sugar. The more sugar that is left over, the sweeter the wine will be. When the winemaker allows the yeast to complete the fermentation process completely, the result is dry wine.
Both white and red wines can fall anywhere on the sweet-to-dry spectrum. Sweet wines pair well with finger foods, creamy pastas, breads, and cheese platters. Dry wines are best with lighter foods, such as fish, roasted veggies, and salads.
Once you’ve decided on a sweet or dry wine, then you can choose whether to opt for a white or red wine. Both of these types of wine are made from grapes, but there are some differences in the fermentation process.
Red wine gets its rich hue from red grape skins, which are left on during fermentation. Conversely, white wine is made from white grapes that have been crushed, and their skins are removed during the process. These differences not only change the color of wine, but they produce distinct flavors.
White wine often tastes crisp, floral, and citrusy, making it a great match for lighter foods. Red wine usually has more of a berry flavor. With heavier red wines, you may even get notes of pepper or more savory flavors. We suggest pairing red wine with more intensely flavored meals, such as red meat, lasagna, and hearty dishes.
If you’re ready to find a bottle of wine you’ll love, and you want to support U.S. veterans in the process, sign up for Warrior Wine’s subscription service. You’ll get delicious, high-quality wine delivered straight to your home, and we’re thrilled to announce that we now ship to 39 states.
Not only will you get these perks, but your purchase will make a difference. We are proud to donate 20% of our profits to charities that support U.S. veterans. Our Austin wine club exclusively features veteran-owned wineries, and we offer a 10% subscription discount for all service members.
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