Choosing the right wine. Ahh, now there’s an age old problem. You see, there’s really no such things as “the right wine”, rather there’s “the right wine for the occasion”, and even then there is huge scope for disagreement amongst experts. So how do you choose the right wine?
   Well, first you have to think about the food you’ll be serving because it is well-known how different types of foods alter the flavor of wine. There are six things to consider about your food.
   1. The degree of sweetness in a dish can cause dry wines to taste less fruity, tannic wines can taste more tannic and bitter. In acidic wines there can be an increased perception of acid or sourness, while a sweet dish will lower or neutralize the sweetness in wines, therefore sweet foods will make a wine taste drier.
   2. Acidity in foods can increase the bitterness in tannic wines. Citric acid present in foods will lower or neutralize acidity in wine. Beware because high concentrations of Vinegar can prove difficult to pair with any wine.
   3. Salt will lower the perception of bitterness in wine. Very salty dishes will increase the sensation of alcohol in wine and will also increase the sensation of sweetness, and lower the perception of acidity.
   4. Bitter foods can increase the bitter taste in a wine. The addition of salt to bitter foods will somewhat smooth or soften the wine. Unlike acidity, bitter foods and bitter wines will not neutralize each other.
   5. Proteins and fat in foods will lower the sensation of tannins in wine. Acidic wines will cut the fattiness while rich, full-bodied wines with rich foods will compliment each other
   6. Hot and or Spicy foods. Sweetness does cut heat, so sweet wine will lower the degree of spiciness in food. The perception of tannins in a wine will increase with spicy, hot foods which will also have their heat increased by wines with high alcohol.
   If you are very new to wine and not sure how to apply all this you can follow this very simple basic advice. Your Entrée should generally be accompanied with a dry white wine or Rosé. Your Main course can be accompanied by red wine for red meat, light red wine for white meats or dry white wine for fish or seafood. With cheese you should offer a red wine, preferably full-bodied and with powerful cheese flavors. And for dessert you will want a sweet, white wine.
   At a pinch, though, fresh and light red wine goes with everything (but remember, rosé is not considered a top wine, although it is good and fresh for casual meals when it's hot).
   If you only have red wine to serve there’s a little-known trick: make sure you serve butter with the meal. Butter can make even a bad red wine taste acceptable. If you don’t believe it try this for yourself. Next time you have a cheap red wine take a small sip, savor it and spit it out. Then taste a little butter and do the same – you’ll be amazed. So how best to serve the butter? All you need to do is offer buttered rolls with your meal.