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"Airplanes notwithstanding, there's a reason that wine generally\ndoesn't come in single-serving containers. From the earliest times,\nwine has been a drink meant to be shared. While I can imagine\neating without wine, I honestly can't conceive of entertaining\nwithout it. Wine can make the food at a dinner party taste better\nin a way no other beverage can.\nThat said, serving wine raises numerous practical questions.\nHere are my answers to the questions I'm most commonly asked.\n\n1. How do you choose the right wine for the meal?\nPairing wine with food is about instinct and a good knowledge\nof how flavors work together. To pick up some basic tips, take a\nlook at the wine strategies and suggestions I've provided for these\n\nmenus.\nLet's say, however, that you have a menu of your own planned and\naren't confident in your wine expertise. In this case, take your\nmenu with you to the best wine shop in town. Briefly describe the\ndishes to one of the salespeople, and ask him or her to recommend a\nwine and describe the flavors for you.\nRemember: Pairing wine and food isn't a science, and there are\nno absolutely right or absolutely wrong answers.\n\n2. How many wines should you offer your guests?\nI sometimes serve a different wine with every course, but\nit's also wonderful to serve just two -- one matched to the\nappetizer and the other to the main dish.\nI also sometimes pour two wines per course instead of just one.\nThis encourages tasting, experimentation, comparison, and lively\nconversation as guests decide on their favorite.\n\n3. How should the wines be served?\nFor years, I've assigned one guest the role of \"wine buddy.\"\nThis person's job is to open wines and pour as needed while I'm\nbusy checking on the lamb and testing the vegetables. No matter\nwhom I choose, my guests love being the wine buddy. Try it -- it\nworks!\nAs for when to serve the wines, there are a few options. I like\nto serve an aperitif while guests are standing; empty glasses go to\n(or remain in) the kitchen. When we sit, the table is set with\nglasses for the wines to come. I pour the wines for the appetizer\ncourse and the main course at the same time. Though this is a\nlittle unconventional, I prefer it because guests can experiment\nwith whichever wine they like; it also ensures a more relaxed\natmosphere since I don't have to get up and down to remove or set\nglasses for every course.\n\n4. How many bottles do you need?\nA standard 750-milliliter bottle contains about five servings\nof wine. I figure each guest will have at least two servings of\nevery wine for every course. So, if you had 10 guests, you'd need\nfour bottles of wine for each course. Beyond this, I plan on one\nglass per person for the aperitif wine (or two bottles using the\nformula above). This is generous math, to be sure, but I'd rather\nhave wine left over than run out.\n\n5. Which wineglasses are best?\nStick with large, inexpensive stemmed wineglasses, and don't\nworry about having different ones for white and red wine; a single\nlarge glass works fine for both. It's nice to have enough glasses\nso that each guest can have a separate one for the aperitif wine,\nthe appetizer course, and the main course.\nIf you're having a dinner party and are short on glasses, don't\nworry. Using the same glass for several wines is perfectly fine,\nand contrary to popular opinion, you don't need (and in fact\nshouldn't) rinse the glasses with water between wines. A drop of\nthe former wine won't hurt the wine to come.\n\n6. Do you need to worry about letting the wine \"breathe\"?\nWorry? No. But if you're serving a powerful young Cabernet\nSauvignon or Merlot, it will taste softer and more luscious if you\npour it out into a carafe, pitcher, or decanter. This isn't\ndecanting per se (you're not separating the wine from sediment),\nbut you are aerating the wine by pouring it out of the bottle.\n\n7. What about leftover wine?\nChill any opened bottles overnight to help preserve the wine.\nIn the case of red wine, take the bottle out of the refrigerator an\nhour or so before enjoying a glass. And don't forget to drink a\ntoast to remember your successful dinner party the night\nbefore!\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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