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Step 1
Determine the percentage of residual sugar in a wine, which is an indicator of how sweet a wine tastes. Dry wine has a residual sugar level of 0 to 2 percent while a sweet or dessert wine has a residual sugar level of over 6 percent. Semi-dry and semi-sweet wine contain a residual sugar level of 2 to 6 percent.
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Step 2
Serve dry wine, such as Chardonnay, to enhance the flavors in a fancy dish or elaborate meal with many complex tastes. Select a dry red wine to accompany red meat, such as beef, and a dry white wine to pair with white meat, such as chicken. Wine connoisseurs have little respect for sweet wine, such as Riesling, although the high residual sugar level appeals to those who do not like the bitter taste of dry wine.
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Step 3
Decide how much you are willing to spend on a bottle of wine as a gift. While price is rarely an indicator of a wine's taste, be wary of wine that costs less than the price of a value meal at your local fast food restaurant. Plan to spend $20 to $50.
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Step 4
Give a bottle of both red and white wine if you are unsure as to which is best. There is no rule that says a sweet white wine cannot be served with lamb or a dry red wine cannot be enjoyed with fish. Choosing wine, after all, is a matter of personal taste.
