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I am a wine newbie and will soon be hosting a party, where I want to serve wine. Is there some etiquette to be followed? What kind of wine and accessories should I buy so that my guests are happy?
Choosing the wine to be served is very important: if your guests are relatively new to wine, serve the fruitier wines and fewer of the dry varieties. Newbies would generally prefer a wine that is not too sweet or too dry, something along the lines of a Sula Chenin Blanc. More experienced wine drinkers generally prefer the dry varieties. A combination of the two is always a good idea!If your guests are well-versed with wine, the best thing is to ask them what wine they prefer.Remember, expensive wine is not necessarily the best wine; your choice of wines must cater to your guests’ palate.

When it comes to serving, as a rule of thumb, red wines are generally served at a temperature of 15 to 17 degrees Celsius. They require to breathe before being served, so you may want to uncork your reds at least an hour before serving them.

White wines must be served chilled, and since the quality of whites diminishes if you keep the bottle open for long, it should ideally be uncorked just before you serve it. Reds should be served in larger glasses to allow ‘breathing’, while whites can be served chilled and in smaller glasses.Remember to pair your food and wine well.

I once tried an Indian wine but found it too dry. Is that how all Indian wines taste? I’ve been told clarets are quite nice. Are they readily available in India?
Indian wines are generally light on the palate and are slightly sweeter compared to old world wines, which generally range from dry to bone dry.Most wines produced in India tend to cater to the Indian palate that prefers sweeter varieties over the dry ones. The Indian Chenin Blanc and Riesling are not dry, so you could try those. If you are looking specifically for clarets, that is, red wine only from the Bordeaux region in France, I suggest Maisson Pierre. From your question, I think you mightlike Hardy’s Cabernet Merlot.

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