Serving
Wine
Here are some simple tips that will enhance your enjoyment of wine:
- White wines should be refrigerated for 45–90 minutes prior to serving.
- Need a quick chill? Place bottles in a bucket of ice water for 10 minutes, rather than
putting white wine in the freezer.
- Red wines are best when served at a temperature of 65°.
- Serve like a true wine connoisseur: Red wine stored at room temperature should be
refrigerated for 20 minutes before serving to bring it to a temperature that is slightly higher
than cellar temperature.
- Open wine a half-hour before serving to allow it to "breathe." Air revives the wine, opening
up its aromas and allowing the flavors to mellow.
- Fill wine glasses slightly less than half full, which lets wine continue to breathe as it’s
enjoyed.
- One 750ml bottle of wine will yield four 6-ounce or five 5-ounce glasses. A safe estimate when
entertaining is a half bottle of wine per guest per hour.
- Here is a simple way to determine the number of bottles needed for a party: Multiply number
of people you are serving by the average number of glasses each will drink, then divide that number
by 5.
- When you’re ordering by the case (12 bottles), divide the number by 12 to determine the total
number of cases needed.
Tasting
Wine
Tasting wine is as much about seeing and smelling the wine as it is about tasting it. Here are
techniques to evaluate a wine’s appearance, scent, flavor, and impression.
The Look
Hold a glass of wine up to a light background in a well-lit room to assess its
clarity and depth of color. Wines should be clear and intense in color, not hazy. The color results
from the contact between the grape skins and juice during winemaking, and reflects the varietal and
the winemaking method.
- White wines can be light green, clear, straw, gold, or brown. Sweet white wines often start
off a deeper shade of yellow.
- Red wines may be purple, ruby, brick, or brickish red. As red wines age, they lose color and
take on a brownish undertone.
- Blush wines are pink in color.
The Aroma
To fully appreciate the aromatic quality of your wine, swirl the glass to release the bouquet.
As wine clings to the inside of the glass, more scents are released. Then smell the wine and
identify the first thought that comes to mind.
The Taste
Now for the best part. Sip the wine and hold it in your mouth, allowing it to
cover your tongue. Note the texture and feel of the wine. Balanced wines offer harmony in several
key areas: aroma, acid, tannin, fruit, and sweetness. Acidity without tartness is key, as is
astringency or a slight "pucker" feeling.
