ESL Podcast 326 - Finding the Right Wine

empty-handed - without bringing anything; without carrying anything; without having anything

The child came home from school empty-handed because he accidentally left his backpack and jacket on the bus.

wine - an alcoholic drink made from fermented grape juice

Would you like a glass of wine with your dinner?

table wine - an inexpensive type of wine that is drunk with meals, not for special occasions

If you're going to bring a bottle of wine to your boss's house, make sure it's a nice one and not just the cheap table wine that we drink normally.

white - a type of wine that has a very light yellow color and that one can see through easily

Most people think that white wine tastes best with fish.

red - a type of wine that has a dark red or purple color and that one cannot see through easily

Red wine is a good combination with steak and other meats.

rosé - a type of wine that has a light pink or purple color and that one can usually see through

Rosé wines are made by letting the skin of red grapes touch the wine for a short period of time.

label - a piece of paper that is glued to a bottle or jar and has information about the product inside

Do you read the nutritional information on the labels of the food that you buy?

fruity - with a fruit-like flavor; with the taste and/or smell of many fruits

Do you prefer fruity desserts or chocolate desserts?

tart - sour; having a sour or acidic taste, often unpleasant

These lemons are really tart! We'll need to put a lot of sugar in the lemonade.

full-/light-bodied - having a very strong (full-) or weak (light-) taste or smell

If you're serving food with very delicate flavors, I suggest that you serve a light- bodied wine, because a full-bodied wine might be too strong and not let people really taste the food.

vineyard - a farm where grapes are grown, usually for wine

What kind of grapes do they grow on that vineyard?

corkscrew - a tool used to open a bottle of wine; a metal and plastic tool with a spiral metal piece that is used to take the cork out of a bottle of wine

Craig brought a nice bottle of wine for their picnic, but he forgot to bring a corkscrew, so they weren't able to open it.

six-pack - a group of six cans or bottles that are connected with a piece of plastic and sold together, usually beer but sometimes soda

Is it cheaper to buy four six-packs or a box of 24 cans?

beer - an inexpensive and popular alcoholic drink that has a yellow-brown color and is made from a grain

Many people like to drink beer while they watch football games on TV.

champagne - a type of white wine with bubbles that is drunk on special occasions

How many bottles of champagne should we buy for the wedding?

can't go wrong - can't have a problem by doing a particular thing; a way to refer to something that is appropriate in any situation or at any event

Even if you don't know what other people are wearing to the party, you can't go wrong with a simple black dress.

special occasion - a special event or memorable happening, such as a wedding, birthday, or holiday

Grandma uses her nicest plates only on special occasions because she doesn't want them to break.