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Enjoy Your Favorite Wine…
But with Some Rules
The mere mention of etiquette brings to mind various images, mainly negative. Etiquette means observing set rules. This article is not about the quaint traditions but, where wine is concerned, etiquette does matter.
Connoisseurs of fine wine are called oenophiles, and they are stringent about treating, serving and tasting wine. Next in line are wine lovers and those simply appreciating wine. For occasional enthusiasts, collectors and cellar owners, the essence of wine etiquette heightens the experience.
Wine is altered by temperature and environment, putting the emphasis on proper storage. Keep red table wines standing in the dining room for approximately 24 hours in advance, to settle sediments, followed by room temperature. White and Rose wines require slight chilling — around 50ºF or for one hour in a refrigerator.
Sparkling wines, including champagnes, require longer chilling of a few hours. Temperature levels drown inconsistencies and enhance the taste. A handy tip is to allow 10 minutes for a wine in a refrigerator to chill and for the reversal, in room temperature.
Uncorking a wine calls for basic guidelines. For red wines, remove the cork one hour in advance. Oxidation helps one experience the true flavor. On the other hand, the longer white wines are left open in room temperature, the more they lose quality. Do not uncork whites until just before serving.
It may appear pretentious to make such a fuss, but there is no denying that there is a completely new dimension to the taste. Red wine vintage and port wines are perfect for decanters since they build up a fairly substantial amount of bitter sediment at the bottom. Pouring slowly into a decanter therefore separates the wine from the sediments.
Decanting wine is also done for exposure to oxygen. The wine has been deprived of air for years, and air adds to the flavor of red wine. For uncorking, use a container with an open mouth. The resulting chemical reaction exudes an aroma that is crucial for the tasting experience. For this purpose, red wine glasses have large rims. Having slowly decanted the wine, leave it for about an hour in room temperature. Eventually, the difference in taste will be unmistakable.
Wine etiquette dictates how a glass of wine should be poured. For bubbly wines that sparkle, pour along the side of the glass to preserve the all-important bubbles. Still wine is poured into the center of the glass, allowing the flavor to float upwards.
Depending on the wine, one should never fill a glass more than two-thirds or halfway. On occasion, when different wines are being sampled during a meal, the amount being poured should be even less.
Highly diverse, wine glasses may be confusing. Nevertheless, they matter because each functions differently based on temperature. More-intense aromas are better appreciated in glasses with wide but thin rims.
The opposite principle is true for white wine glasses. Narrower and more slender, the tulip shape is integral to the hallmarks of white wine. More blunt and less angular than champagne flutes or dessert wine glasses, white wine glasses can be easily differentiated.
To the uninitiated wine drinker, etiquette may seem unnecessary. However, it is an established fact that for the authentic experience of wine in all its subtleties, it is the only way... Cheers!!!
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