Is expensive wine really better? Don't get confused by these common misconceptions

LOS ANGELES - You probably hear all sorts of things about wine, but not all of it is true. Here are some common misconceptions people have about the world’s favorite drink:

• Screw caps mean cheap wine: Just because your bottle doesn’t have a cork, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting bad wine. Screw caps can be more reliable than corks, and more sanitary too.
• Cook with the cheapest wine you can find: Not so fast. If you want to add flavor to your food, shouldn’t it be a flavor you like? It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive, but don’t cook with anything you wouldn’t drink.
• Expensive wine is better wine: Not necessarily. Sure, sometimes great wine does come at a premium price. But sometimes you’re paying more for packaging or just because a certain type of wine is popular at that particular moment.
• Open a wine bottle to let it breathe: Well, sure, you do need to do that, but not a lot of air is getting into that tiny neck, and the surface area of wine exposed to the air while sitting in a bottle isn’t much. To really aerate your wine, you need a decanter.
• Red wine is for meat, white wine for fish: This can be true, but don’t get lost in rules. It should always be about flavor first and foremost. A light fish can be overpowered by a strong white, and might be better off with a lighter red. Pair your wine with flavors that compliment each other, no matter the color.

And most of all, don’t forget, you’re supposed to enjoy wine. So, if the rules are stressing you out, have a nice glass of wine and forget all about them.