When you are invited to visit friends, or receive people at home, the question of choosing wine always arises. It's hard to please everyone, so there are a few tips to ensure you always make the right choice of wine bottles. Let's see how to choose a wine for an aperitif with friends .
Choosing an aperitif wine based on 4 criteria
It is almost impossible to choose bottles of wine without having a minimum of information about the guests or the dishes that will be served. Here are 4 criteria that will allow you to select a wine for an aperitif .
Choose a wine according to the event
The first criterion which helps guide your choices towards different types of wine concerns the event and the more or less festive setting in which the bottle will be tasted. For example, it is customary to reserve Champagne for important and rather formal events , such as a wedding, a professional meeting, or even a birthday. Sparkling wines are also very popular during a romantic meal.
On the other hand, for a more relaxed and less formal evening with friends, it is better to turn to a bottle of still wine , such as a red wine, a rosé wine or a white wine. More friendly and relaxed, these types of wine are generally appreciated by everyone, and adapt to the different dishes they will accompany.
Choose a wine based on the menu
If you're the host of the party, it's easy to choose your wines based on the dishes you'll be serving. Red wines for charcuterie, white wines for seafood, rosé wines for a barbecue evening...
If you are invited and don't know the menu, the choice becomes more complicated. You can then turn to safe values, such as a rosé wine, always appreciated for its freshness during an aperitif dinner. And if the wine you offer is not suitable for the meal, the host can perfectly keep it to consume it later. Remember that the objective in offering wine is to please the person.
Choose a wine according to the guests
Generally, aperitifs with friends bring together people who know each other quite well. So, if you know approximately who the guests at the aperitif evening will be, you can base your choice of wine based on their affinities . In addition to delighting them, you will please them by giving them a sign of attention. And if there is a wine lover among the guests, don't hesitate to ask them for advice.
If you don't really know the guests, you can, again, go for safe values, such as a fruity and light red wine, or a dry white wine.
Choosing a good wine without breaking the bank
Unless you are invited to a very formal and formal aperitif, it is very likely that the evening will revolve around petit fours, appetizers, chips and raw vegetables. So there is no need to spend a fortune on your bottle of wine. This is all the more true since there are very good wines at low prices . You can easily find a good, inexpensive bottle that will work wonders without taking the risk of having a bad surprise. To do this, turn to renowned appellations , such as Côtes-de-Provence for rosé wines, or white wines from the Loire Valley.
Wine for aperitif: mistakes not to make
Even if you follow our 4 tips cited above for choosing wine, it is not impossible, given the large quantity of vintages offered in stores, to make mistakes. Here are 3 tips to follow to avoid missteps.
- Avoid fine wines as an aperitif : among the basic rules for choosing a wine, you should know that it is strongly recommended not to serve a fine wine as an aperitif, even if you are serving foie gras or a tasty dish. Grands Crus are often strong, full-bodied wines, which will stand out in the mouth and saturate the taste buds for the rest of the meal;
- Forget sweet wines during an aperitif dinner : sweet wines are obviously very tasty and appreciated by gourmands, but the very high sugar level will mask the flavors of the dishes. Furthermore, sweet and sweet wines do not go well with all dishes, and food and wine pairings are often difficult;
- Do not serve tannic red wines as an aperitif : like great wines, wines with powerful tannins impose themselves too much on the palate. Better to reserve them for a dish based on red meat, and choose lighter wines as an aperitif.
Wine for aperitif: safe values
Are you lost in the wine section of your supermarket? If you don't have the opportunity to benefit from the advice of a wine merchant or an oenologist, bet on safe values so as not to make a mistake.
A light red wine for gourmet aperitifs
If tannic red wines are not recommended as an aperitif, lighter red wines work wonders with dishes based on cheese, cold meats, sausage, and everything we like as an aperitif! You can then choose a red wine that is simple and round in the mouth , such as an Anjou wine, a Morgon, a Brouilly...
A fresh white wine for its versatility
Another safe bet, white wine has the advantage of being able to accompany many dishes. It is therefore an excellent choice for a dinner aperitif composed of a multitude of small bites and other delicacies with very varied flavors. We then recommend a white wine with a nice freshness on the palate, good acidity, and light and fruity aromas, such as a Mâcon-Village or a white wine from Provence.
A rosé wine for conviviality
The star drink of summer evenings, rosé wine is very appreciated for its freshness, but it also has the advantage of being able to accompany many flavors without making a mistake. Côtes de Provence rosé wines are then a perfect choice, but you should however avoid grapefruit aromas and overly sweet notes, which do not go so easily with all dishes.
Our selection of wines for your aperitifs with friends
Fresh and fruity, the wines of Provence are an easy addition to a festive aperitif with friends. Here is for you a selection of our best wines which will work wonders with an aperitif based on Mediterranean products, or any type of aperitif.
- Rosé 2021 AOP Côtes de Provence - Ultimate Provence : this rosé wine made from Syrah, Cinsault and Grenache offers beautiful freshness and aromas of exotic fruits;
- Rosé 2021 IGP Méditerranée – Romance : composed of merlot, grenache, syrah and cinsault, this rosé wine from Provence is fresh and aromatic, presenting pretty notes of peach and apricot;
- Rosé 2022 AOP Côtes de Provence - Origin : this organic rosé wine from Château de Berne is the result of a careful selection of the estate's best grape varieties. We find a beautiful balance, a lovely freshness, and delicious notes of white stone fruits.
With all these tips, you are ready to choose a wine for your next aperitifs and delight all your friends. Visit our online store to introduce your guests to the sure values of our Provençal wine estates.
