Not sure how to choose, store and serve wine? Expert Charlie Stein, director at Rick Stein Restaurants, shares his top tips…
1 LEARN TO READ WINE LABELS
Wine labels in countries like France, Spain and in particular Germany are incredibly hard to decipher as they often don't include the grape variety, which is a key identifier for most wine drinkers. In England, however, we have taken the step to include the grape varieties and will have a good description on the back to help consumers, so once you know what grapes you prefer and subsequently what flavours they have, this should help.
2 UNDERSTAND WHAT FLAVOURS YOU LIKE
By figuring out what flavours you enjoy and the words often used to describe them, you will be better equipped to choose wines you’ll love. It depends on the situation, but generally I like my wine bone dry unless I'm pairing them with dishes that have a spicy kick, like Thai food or with a good pudding like a tarte tatin when you need a very sweet wine to complement the flavours.
3 STORE YOUR WINE CORRECTLY
Try not to store your wine near anything that emits heat, such as a radiator or an oven as this temperature change can turn your wines jammy. Red wine is often served far too warm, so my trick is to always put a red wine in the fridge for 10 minutes before you want to serve to get it to the correct, refreshing temperature.
4 BUY THE RIGHT GLASS TO SERVE YOUR WINE
There's a broad range of glassware at all different price bands - I'd say look out for something with a nice thi
