The Right Wines for Family Gatherings
Have you ever been in a situation where you don´t know what wine to choose for a family event? We have been, and for that reason, we will give you some tips, so you will never be in that situation again.
We also know that the choice of wine is just one of the concerns that come with organizing a meal. What drink would the guests like? What food or appetizers? Where better to put the table, indoors or in the garden?
Today we will solve your doubts about wine, making sure that at the end of this reading you will be able to choose a wine that will impress your guests.
We will also talk about how to receive your guests, what combinations are best suited to your dishes and how to distribute these wines according to the environment, time and season. These are just some of the tips that will guide you to become great hosts and enjoy our wines in the most fun way.
Welcoming guests
Let's start with welcoming friends. As they arrive, we offer them that welcome glass, preferably white wine .
You can opt for a Spanish wine from D.O. Rueda, for example Loess, a fantastic wine of the Verdejo variety, fresh and with good acidity, or for the wine Fuentesca, from D.O. Utiel-Requena. Another white wine that would suit the palate of your guests, is La Flamenca, a blend of Macabeo and Pansa Blanca, very easy to drink. These types of wines are perfect for any season.
If the reception takes place in spring or summer, and they go directly into the garden or on the terrace, you can also invite them to a rosé wine . A good choice would be Mallolet, a Spanish wine from D.O. Empordà, a fresh wine with a slight salty tinge due to its proximity to the sea. It fits very well with more restless tastes.
You can also surprise your friends with a glass of fresh and sweet sangria, whose sparkling feature offers the option of a toast full of flavor.
Keep in mind that the welcome glass, in all seasons, must be a young and fresh wine, without mature or reserve wines.
It should be white or rosé. In case one of your guests prefers a red wine, it must always be a young wine that retains its freshness and flavor of the variety.
Another important element to keep in mind is the serving temperature of these wines.
In the case of white and rosé wine, it must be between 6 and 7 ° C in spring and summer , if the gathering takes place in the afternoon or evening.
If you receive guests at lunch, I advise you to lower the temperature by one degree, 5-6ºC, to put the bottle in a cooler or in a wine shaker and, in particular, not to leave the bottle in the sun, because in less than half an hour, the temperature of the wine will increase and its quality will deteriorate.
The serving temperature of welcoming wine in autumn and winter should be between 8 and 9°C.
And when it comes to red wine, it should be mentioned that we serve it between 10 and 11°C in summer , and in autumn and winter, always at 14°C.
Lunch or Dinner
Let's imagine that we have guests for lunch or dinner . What wines should we serve depending on the menu we have chosen to serve?
Well, since appetizers are usually light, like a salad, some delicious fish or seafood , we will pair it with the wine we offered as a welcome glass. If you would like to switch to another white wine, it should be light and rich, but not too complex. A wine that is easy to drink and has a lower concentration of alcohol.
A good host should keep in mind that if the main course is fish, you should choose white wines with a more complex structure , such as Pradorey, a Verdejo variety with a maturation of three months in its own yeasts, creamy and delicate. Or Urbezo, from Spain D.O.P Cariñena, an elegant and fine Chardonnay that leaves no one indifferent.
If we opt for red meat as a main course , any of our red wines fits perfectly in the spring and summer months. I advise you to combine the grilled meat with rich red wines , such as Immortalis, from Spain D.O. Bullas, from a single variety of old vine Monastrell , complete, voluminous wine with good structure.
And we can't forget our Rioja wines . An extraordinary choice would be El Jardin de la Emperatriz, an excellent Spanish red wine with a mature and elegant tannin and an attractive aroma of ripe red fruit. And for lovers of classic Rioja wines,we recommend MC 2019, an intense and meaty wine, with a perfect balance between acidity and alcohol.
We can't end the article without recommending wines that are suitable for the best gatherings, the ones that havben´t been planned, and thgat happen when your friends show up at your house unexpectely .
In these cases, we need to improvise with what we have around the house. An informal aperitif at lunch, or in the evening, before dinner, a cream cheese, and a pate, will pair perfectly with fresh white wine. Matured sheep cheese and sausages, will pair perfectly with a good red wine
One last tip: we reocommed always to have two bottles of wine in your kitchen, so your friends will feel at home when they visit you.
We hope that these tips are helpful when choosing wines for your upcoming family events and anniversaries. If you follow our recommendations, you will instantly become th perfect host.
As always, we thank our friend Isabel Zaro ( Sommelier graduated from UDG University ) for all the suggestions and information she shared with us today. We are waiting for you in our store to discover all the assortments of wines mentioned in this article, but also many others.
See you next time, wine lovers,
Dis&Dis Team
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