A dinner with your partner, a lunch or a meeting with friends are perfect occasions to enjoy a good wine on the Day of Love and Friendship, which is commemorated on February 14.
The key is to make an appropriate selection so that this drink is a complement to that special moment.
Omar Monteros, a professor at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, is an expert in wines and lists what should be taken into account when buying a bottle.
1.- The type of wine depends on what time it will be drunk and what is going to be eaten
The menu determines the type of wine that is chosen, as well as whether it is in the afternoon or at night. At lunchtime, when fresh food is eaten, the most convenient are sparkling rosé or white wines that are dry, fresh, fruity. “They are rich flavors for that time, accompanied by a seafood salad with arugula, cherry tomato, that type of food,” he says.
If it is beef, the most suitable is red wine from the variety pinot noir (grape variety), which also goes with chicken or shellfish. “It is adaptable for all types of meats.”
At the end of the afternoon, the so-called mid-afternoon wines go well, such as rosés accompanied by olives or cheeses. “The sparkling wine is for all kinds of schedules. It can be taken in a brunch (snack) at eleven in the morning, at noon, mid-afternoon or at night. In a climate like that of Guayaquil, who would not drink one while looking at the river on the boardwalk? It is super important that white, rosé or sparkling wines are at a temperature of 6 or 7 degrees Celsius. The ideal for red wines is between 14 and 17 degrees, which is when they have all their power”.
If the meeting continues later at night, you can continue with preferably young wines, not very strong because if taken in too much it can cause a headache or discomfort, says the expert. “A year or two old, a red wine from 2020, 2021 or 2022 will go very well. If it is white or pink, they are usually no more than three or four years old because otherwise they already lose their strength and vitality in a certain way.”
The 4 or 5-year-old reds are good for a dinner, but if you want to continue, it is always recommended to use the youngest ones so that there is no damage, says Monteros.
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2.- Observe the information on the label on the bottle to buy the right one
The type of grape or strain and the denomination of origin are important data that must be verified to acquire, according to the taste of each palate.
The degree of alcohol in red wines hardly varies and ranges between 13.5 and 14.5 degrees. Whites, between 11 and 12 degrees. “The difference is not much. All alcoholic beverages at long tide.”
White grapes (chardonnay white wines) go well with flavors that have creaminess, butter, and citrus.
The sauvignon blanc variety is accompanied with fresh salads that have some cheese, seafood and even a ceviche, says Monteros.
Cabernet Sauvignon is a more powerful red wine, which is why it is a highly recommended grape for roasted red meats with a strong flavor.
3.- The price of the wine helps to set the quality of what is going to be drunk
“The value is super important because it helps to see its quality. You can buy one for $30, but you don’t necessarily have to like it. And it’s not because it’s cheaper and they sell it for $30, but because the type of wine I was looking for wasn’t the one I bought at that time,” says Monteros.
The cheapest (there are from $3) are for table and are well mixed with ice or sparkling water, they are also used for cooking. “I always recommend a wine between $12 and $16, a medium level and you will find very good wines of excellent quality. If you want to make a good gift, there is between $20 and $30, the best level. The higher-cost ones are already of spectacular quality.”
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4.- From Argentina, Chile, Italy, France or Ecuador?
There are differences between European wines and those from the New World (coming from the American continent). The former are less powerful than the latter in white and red wines.
“The land, the climate, the type of harvest, fermentation, everything influences. If I want to age my wine in a new wooden barrel, it will give it a potency. Instead, the French mature their best wines in used barrels,” says Monteros.
It is advisable to try and choose the favorite. In Argentina and Chile you will find slightly more powerful wines with a lot of fruit. In Spain they are drier, with less fruit.
In gastronomy there is a saying, adds Monteros. “The best wine is the one you like, not the one that sells me for $100 or $300. It’s not the price, but the taste. I can buy a $20 one and I’ll like it a lot better than the $100 one because it has the body I need, it goes with the meats I eat.”
Those from Ecuador, says Monteros, are very good, like those from the Santa Elena peninsula. “A white Ecuadorian chardonnay won as the best white wine in the southern hemisphere against South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Chile and all the countries in this part of the world that participated. He won a double gold medal, look at the quality he has there. The only thing is that they have a high price compared to the costs in Europe because the production is always smaller.”
Wine consumption in Ecuador is small when compared to Argentina and Chile. “Four years ago I did a study and each Ecuadorian consumed an average of two bottles a year. Chile, 8 or 9, and Argentina, 25″. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
