Wine Basics - red or white or fortified?

Wine Basics

Don't get stuck deciding which wine goes best with turkey. Simply be prepared to present your guests with a simple choice -
red or white.

Wine Basics:

White   Red   Fortified

____________

Bottle Size:
Champagne   Bordeaux

Fortified Wine Basics
Fortified wines are generally served as an apéritif or after-dinner drink.

• Madiera
  Blonde to brown, dry to very sweet, as an apéritif or after-dinner drink
• Marsala
  Rich, smoky, sweet to dry, as an apéritif or after-dinner drink
• Oloroso
  Dark, rich, full-flavored Sherry
• Port
  Sweet, usually an after-dinner drink
• Sherry
  As apéritif or after-dinner drink, serve dry sherry chilled, sweet sherry at room temp

Red Wine Basics
Red wines are generally best when served at approx 65° F

• Bardolino
  Light, fruity
• Bordeaux (red)
  Rich, fragrant, fine
• Burgundy (red)
  Rustic, exotic, fruity
• Cabernet Sauvignon
  Dry, bold
• Chianti
  Dry, sturdy
• Lambrusco (red)
  Semi-sweet, slightly effervescent, pale
• Merlot
  Plummy, velvety
• Pinot Noir
  Smooth, earthy, cherry
• Syrah/Shiraz
  Esteemed, deep-colored, flavorful
• Valpolicella
  Dry, light-bodied, fruity, fragrant
• Zinfandel (red)
  Tart, fruity, rustic

White Wine Basics
Whites wines are generally best when served between 50-55° F

• Asti Spumante
  Sweet, sparkling, Italian wine, dessert or as an apéritif
• Barolo
  Robust, bold bouquet
• Beaujolais
  Light, dry, fruity
• Bordeaux (white)
  Fragrant, fine
• Burgundy (white)
  Dry, rich, mild
• Chablis
  Crisp, dry
• Champagne
  Tart, elegant
• Chardonnay
  Buttery, oaky
• Chenin Blanc
  Light, sweet, floral
• Gewürtztraminer
  Spicy, crisp, perfumy
• Lambrusco (white)
  Semi-sweet, slightly effervescent
• Liebfraumilch
  Light, sweet
• Mirin (aka Sake)
  Sweet, golden, Japanese rice wine
• Muscadet
  Light, dry
• Muscatel
  Sweet, rich, dessert wine
• Pinot Blanc
  Dry, crisp
• Pinot Gris
  Crisp, rich
• Retsina
  Turpentine-like, traditional, Greek wine
• Riesling
  Light, sweet, floral
• Sake (aka Mirin)
  sweet, golden, Japanese rice wine
• Sauternes
  Sweet, elegant, dessert wine
• Sauvignon Blanc
  Light, crisp, fruity
• Sémillon
  Dry or semi-sweet
• Sparkling Wine - only sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France is authentic "Champagne"
  Tart, fancy
• Spumante
  Sweet, sparkling, Italian wine, dessert or as an apéritif
• Vouvray
  Dry, semisweet, sweet, or sparkling
• Zinfandel (white)

  Fruity, sweet, light, spicy

Champagne bottle sizes

• Split: 187 ml = 1/4 standard bottle
• Magnum: 1.5 liters = 2 std bottles
• Jeroboam: 3 liters = 4 std bottles
• Rehoboam: 4.5 liters = 6 std bottles
• Methuselah: 6 liters = 8 std bottles
• Salmanazar: 9 liters = 12 std bottles
• Balthazar: 12 liters = 16 std bottles
• Nebuchadnezzar: 15 liter = 20 std bottles

Bordeaux bottle sizes

• Magnum: 1.5 liters = 2 std bottles
• Marie-Jeanne: 2.25 liters = 3 std bottles
• Double magnum: 3 liters = 4 std bottles
• Jeroboam: 4.5 liters = 6 std bottles
• Imperial: 6 liters = 8 std bottles

Cheers!