Help!!

[lodri]

I am definitely a novist, please bare with me. I have guests coming to my home tonite and I bought a red wine. Do red wines go with desserts and should I chill it?

Thank you,

Lodri

[Innkeeper]

Hi Lodri, and welcome to the Wine Board. You haven't given us too much to go on such as what kind of red wine you have or what the dessert will be. Red wine can go with dessert if it is fruity or sweet, and the dessert is chocolate. It should not be chilled unless it is a light red wine such as Beaujolais.

[Jackie]

Dear Lodri,

Welcome to the Wine Board. Yes, it's clear you are new to wine but that's fine. You're welcome here.

In general, red wine should be slightly chilled to the temperature of a cool dark basement (60-65). It shouldn't be icy cold but definitely cooler than our room temperatures(70-75). I'd put it in the fridge an hour or so in advance of serving. White wines should be chilled longer and served quite cool but not icy.

As for whether or not your red wine will go with dessert. Usually we serve sweet wines with sweet desserts. Most quality red wines are not sweet, so you may have a problem. Why not serve the red wine with the meal and serve coffee or a Port wine with dessert?

If you'd like more explicit advice, post a reply here and tell us what sort of red wine you have and what sort of dessert and other food you are serving tonight.

Jackie

[This message has been edited by Jackie (edited 09-17-2001).]