How to Pick Good Wine for a Party

Wine is an important part of any party you throw. A bar without wine is incomplete, or rather as incomplete as it could ever get. Though a lot also depends on the kind of party you are throwing, a good wine is an essential.

There are so many types of wine that you are bound to get confused. However, the key is to not read too much into the details, right in the beginning. If you don't know much about wines, don't get all confused. All you need to know is that you have to go to the wine shop and pick up a bottle or two, and the right one.

Even the wine experts at times can go wrong in their suggestions as we all have different tastes. The following article will tell you how you should go about picking up a good wine before a party. If you have some time for the party, it's always advisable to try a few wines here and there, and go through some reviews. If you have absolutely no time, just read through these tips and you're set!

Before you go and pick up a wine, you must know how much you might need. One bottle with 750 ml wine, will serve approximately 5 glasses or to be precise, 6 four once glasses. Wine is not hard like beer, it is consumed slowly. Ideally, one person has a glass in an hour. Count the number of guests you have invited and calculate how much you need to buy. Make sure you bring in 5 glasses more.

You just never know when the party extends!

• The first thing you need to know is that no one picks up an expensive bottle of wine every single time. At a party, all you expect out of your glass of wine, is good taste and a good feeling. Then again, this does not mean you go and pick up a very famous brand of cheap wine. Ask the shop keeper to give you something that is not very famously cheap. He'll get the hint!

• If you want to know more about selecting not so famous wines, yet good ones, here is some advice. Explore regions that aren't very known by people. The lower part of France has some lovely wines which people are yet to explore. The taste is a winner and the price is payable. Similarly, Portuguese wines are not very famous but are great to taste. Look out for these in the coming years.

• When you go to pick up a bottle of wine, you need to pick up one of both, red and white. White is usually consumed more. Some people drink only red while the others drink only the white. If you have absolutely no time to think and select, pick up a Pinot Noir and a Riesling. Though very common, they are very versatile too. These are last minute options and most people would usually have one of these stocked.

• It is usually advised that you don't pick up too of much something you aren't aware of. Sometimes, sellers try and dump their remaining bottles to buyers who aren't much aware of the types of wines and liquor in general.

If they have a type in bulk (it is leftover in bulk because nobody bought it!), it is the worst wine for even a party of two. Stay away! Bulk buying should always include recommendations from experts.

• The cuisine you have prepared for the party has to go well with the wine you pick up. The general rule of serving wine is to serve red wine with red meat and red sauces and the white with fish and other sauces you prepare. For something like Indian cuisine, even though there might not be meat included, the spices in it demand a full bodied red wine. These are details you need to keep in mind always.

• Now the time for suggestions, strictly from the point of view of the author. For the Red, the Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile can be a great pick and so can the Portuguese red, as I have mentioned before. The Cabernet has a peppery taste with a hint of bitter chocolate. If you don't find the Portuguese red, try looking for wines from the region of Douro. You'll most probably find one.

• Now, the white. We spoke about French wines before, didn't we? The Muscadet from France is the perfect choice to try something different. Even your guests will thank you for sharing this one with them. It is drier than the usual other whites that come at this price and has a lesser content of alcohol. Another great white is Sauvignon Blanc from kiwi land. This wine from New Zealand is a great hit!

• If you are having a party with teenagers wanting to shout their lungs out, the best option is to pick up a bottle of sparkling wine. Sparkling wine goes well with almost any cuisine, so you don't have to worry about that too. Though a bottle of sparkling wine may not come all that cheap, it will always be worth the money. 

The easiest one to pick up is the Crèmant. Crèmant stands for bubbly in French. The name of the place is usually added after this, like Crèmant de Loire and Crèmant de Jura.

These tips will surely help you in buying a good wine for your next party. Start attending wine tasting events and wine festivals to taste wines for free and know what you prefer. Sometimes, these events also offer sales where you can buy something you like and store it up for a party. Remember, there should always be at least one bottle of wine in your house at all times. Which one, you decide!