Entertaining with Wine? Keep it simple with these stress-busting tips

Entertaining with wine over the holidays is easier than you think. Here's a few no-nonsense tools for everything from pairing to pacing to planning.

(PRWEB) December 14, 2003 --The holidays are here. Whether youre entertaining a small group from work, a family Christmas feast, or a New Years Eve Party, theres always one thing you can count on-that stressful trip to the wine shop. Will my guests like it? What if this wine goes with the appetizer and not with the main dish? How much should I buy? How should I serve it? By the time youve finished debating, youve just lost an hour in the wine aisle you could have been using to cook.

The good news is, you dont need your own personal wine sommelier to choose the right wine with your holiday meal. According to wine experts, if you go for the lighter, fruitier wines, youll make the right choice nearly every time.

Light, fruity wines like Rieslings are the all-purpose holiday drink," said Christopher Klau, president of Schmitt Sohne USA, distributors of nearly 50 percent of all Riesling wines sold in the U.S. The key is their acidity. They are light and easy to drink, so even people who dont drink wine often will still enjoy the taste."

When it comes to entertaining simply with wine, Klau recommended a few tricks of the trade that can make your event go more smoothly:

Serve lighter, dryer style wines first-Fuller bodied and more robust wines last. Wines should complement food, not become the primary focus. And most appetizers and first courses are lighter than the main course. A good rule of thumb is to serve a Riesling Cabinet with finger foods, soups and salads. Riesling Qualistatwein (QBA) and Spatlese will go well with the most typical holiday main courses, such as turkey, ham, pork roast and tenderloins. They will compliment the foods flavor while not masking their taste. The balance of acid to sugar in German Rieslings is what gives them their perfect food pairing ability. From fruits and cheeses to roasts and elegant desserts, you can find a German Riesling that will perfectly complement the taste.

Have Enough on Hand-When it comes to holiday entertaining, its not necessary to offer guests a wide variety of wine choices. Simply count the number of guests, and buy one bottle for every two guests, per course.

Good wine doesnt have to be expensive-Good Rieslings come in every price range, a factor that has helped explain why Rieslings are one of the fastest growing, top selling wines available today. Bottles of the Schimitt Sohne Little German" branded Rieslings go for as little as $6.99 a bottle, and are widely available wherever wines are sold. Estate bottled varieties from historic, celebrated wineries like Schloss Volyrads can be found for around $20 a bottle.

To chill or not to chill-- Confused by all the talk about airing out wine and all the fancy wine chillers out there? The bottom line is, most light, fruity wines like Rieslings should be chilled to truly appreciate their crispness. You do not need to remove the cork and air it out in advance. Chilling the wine glasses is not necessary. If youre having a sit-down dinner, chill your wine at least an hour in advance and pour it at the table. If you are having a buffet where guests mingle for an extended period, chill your wine in advance and display the bottles in ice buckets that are easy for your guests to access.

Wine with dessert? Why not? As an alternative to coffee, wine makes a great choice to go with everything from cake to bread pudding. And its not necessary to buy a $30 bottle of expensive dessert wine. Just choose a heavy bodied Riesling, like an Auslese, which is made from overripe grapes picked late in the harvest. Youll be surprised how well a full-flavored wine can bring out the sweetness and flavor of a rich dessert," Klau said.

Pacing is everything-Whenever you serve alcohol, pacing is key to making sure your guests dont overindulge. Make sure that your wine and cocktails course is accompanied by plenty of appetizers, and that it doesnt last for more than 40 minutes to an hour. During a meal, make sure there arent too many long gaps between courses, and that there are pitchers of water or other non-alcoholic beverages like mulled cider or spiced tea on the table, to help guests pace themselves. During a cocktail party, have lots of heavier foods and plenty of spotters" to make sure your guests are getting the soft drinks and food they need.
###