So you’ve got a fully stocked wine fridge … and some major indecision.
Truly, there is no wrong answer when the question is what to drink.
But here’s a few helpful hints to get the wine flowing.
Try an App.
Harness the power of technology with an online wine butler. Partage restaurant owner and wine director Nicolas Kalpokdjian recommends the app Alfred Private Collectors, which helps collectors manage their inventory and keeps track of when wines mature.
Everyday Drinking.
For a weeknight dinner, Garagiste owner Eric Prato follows this truism: “What grows together goes together.” He pairs an Italian red with pizza, fish with white wine and steak with Syrah from the Rhône Valley. Kalpokdjian recommends devoting 50% of a collection to quotidian wines, with the other half saved for special wines to be aged one to 10 years.
A classic host gift.
With wine on hand, you always have a readymade gift. While the choice should match your friends’ drinking styles, Prato says wines from Italy or Spain are always good options for bringing to a dinner party.
For the holidays.
Thanksgiving is a harvest celebration, which is synonymous with the newest Beaujolais. Complete the feast with a good white, such as a Chardonnay, Riesling or Chenin Blanc, Prato says. Christmas calls for a fuller wine, such as a Cabernet, Syrah or Bordeaux.
When in doubt, pop bubbly.
Coco Chanel famously drank Champagne on only two occasions: “When I am in love and when I am not.” Kalpokdjian, whose family is from the Champagne region of France, lives by Chanel’s quote. “It’s true,” he says. “Champagne goes with everything.”
A weekend hang.
Prato loves hosting friends on Sundays. He opens a variety of bottles for people to try, not following any particular rules. “So as long as we’re gathering, having a good time with friends and family, drinking well, eating well—that’s what it’s all about.”
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