Fine Wine for the Home Bar (Continued)

Wine Service

This is a major fear factor for many hosts. A great way to determine which wines you and your friends really enjoy is to throw a wine tasting party. Here are a few tips:

• Have a nice variety of red, white, dry and sweet wines.
• Bread is a perfect pallete cleanser between tastes.
• Embellish the hors d'oeuvres menu with cheese, fondue, crackers and vegetables. Let the wine be the main attraction.
• When pouring wine, twist the bottle as you bring the bottle upright to avoid dripping.
• Do NOT smell the cork. It is silly and useless. The correct tact is to examine the cork. Look for the name of the vineyard and make sure the cork is not dried, decayed or saturated. If it is, the wine is probably bad.