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Most people suggest that there are two main ways of pairing wine and food. First, wine can become a major component in the preparation of a meal. Second, it can be done by choosing a wine to accompany a particular meal. Of course, the first activity should always be followed by the second for maximum enjoyment! And, of course, one can always participate in both activities at the same time providing an ideal combination of food and wine.

Enjoy Wine With Dinner

A good wine will add to the flavor of the food, assist in digestion and, in the case of red wine, be beneficial in keeping your heart healthy. There are several schools of thought as to which wines to combine with particular foods. However, I’d like to suggest that if it tastes right, it is right. While some connoisseurs may argue with this, there seems to be little downside in pairing wine and food in this manner.

Cooking With Wine

The Italians and French are masters of combining food with wine. Both these cuisines make extensive use of wines in preparing meals from appetizers to sauces to desserts.

Pairing wine and food in this way does not impart an alcoholic taste to the food as heating the wine or other liquor is designed to boil away the alcohol component.

A rule to remember when cooking with wine is never to cook with a wine that you don’t want to drink. This can mean opening a bottle of wine just for the recipe you are planning but the flavor boost to your dinner is worth it. Never be tempted to add that wine that has been sitting open in the fridge for the last week to the recipe you are cooking. If it isn’t a wine you would drink, don’t attempt to cook with it. You’ll find lots of suggestions for cooking with wine, how to store wine and how to taste wine at www.WineCellarSecrets.com

Tags: combining wine and food, cooking with wine, food and wine pairing, how to store wine, how to taste wine, pairing wine and food