Wine Grading

Being married to a wine enthusiast has exposed me to occasional wine drinking and the art of wine pairing. Whenever we go out on dinners, which is quite often, it's good to know which wine will go well with what dish. When I order roasted chicken dish, I usually get Chardonnay, but if the chicken is prepared with tomato sauce, I go with red wine like Chianti. If I order fish like salmon, I usually get Pinot Noir, but a better choice would be dry Rose from Provence. The light cherry flavors of the rose will hold up well with the meaty salmon. If I order light fish with lemon, I usually order Pinot Grigio.

When we have friends over for casual dinner we choose wine with outstanding quality. It pays to read Wine Reviews that provide Wine Grades as guidelines in choosing wine. The grades are presented in two scores such as pure grade and value grade. Pure grade is derived based on color and general appearance; aroma and bouquet; flavor and finish; and overall quality of wine, while value grade is based on the value it presents to a consumer for the average retail price of the bottle. These are very informative guidelines, though of course all wine grading is subjective. I will always go for that wine that will give me the best value for my dollars.