It’s the holidays now, and many of you have probably bought something alcoholic for the table. If you opted for wine or champagne, know that only half the battle is done. Serving a drink with the wrong dish, serving it at the wrong temperature, or pouring it into the wrong glass at all – everyone can make these mistakes. So that you can enjoy the true taste of wine and share it with your loved ones, we have prepared a list of tips on how to drink wine correctly. Happy reading, and “chin-chin”!
Council number 1. Glasses
Before all the subsequent serious information, we immediately warn you – you can drink wine from absolutely any glassware that you like. Glasses, mugs, glasses, glasses, but at least straight from the bottle. But, since our article is about the correctness of drinking wine, let’s figure it out.
For white wine, it is advised to choose smaller glasses than for red wine, and it must be drunk chilled. So, smaller glasses allow:
- preserve the floral aroma;
- maintain a low temperature;
- express more acidity in wine;
- reveal more flavors (even at low temperatures) due to proximity to the nose.
Famous sommeliers have established that it is possible to achieve the most pleasant taste of red wine. It is correct to drink wine from glasses on a long stem with a wide neck (due to the characteristic bitterness and spice in the taste of the drink). It is also best served at room temperature. These conditions provide:
- sensation of numerous combination of aromas of red wine;
- the fastest evaporation of ethanol (for example, due to the wide surface);
- softer and more balanced taste.
Council number 2. Taste, color and aroma
If you drink wine not at home, but, for example, in a restaurant or a guest, there are several tricks with which you can evaluate the quality and freshness of the wine.
1. Pay attention to the color and taste of wine. Oxidized drinks lose their brightness in every sense. What’s more, deep red wines turn reddish brown and take on a strange taste of vinegar and baked apples.
2. Storing wine at the wrong temperature. It can give it a sweet aroma and a nutty flavor with a burnt sugar aftertaste. In addition, the high temperature often breaks the tightness of the bottle (heated air pushes the cork out), so the wine can also oxidize. That is why, before you learn how to drink wine correctly, you need to know the conditions for its storage.
3. Wine can be spoiled before opening. The reason for this may be chemical contamination of the cork in production. In this case, the wine will smell very unpleasant (the smell is similar to wet or moldy paper / cardboard), and the taste will have almost no fruity notes and give off dampness.
Council number 3. Perception of wine
The most important thing is actually “acquaintance” with wine. In other words, when you raise a glass and take the first sips, it is important to consider and feel the drink. How to do it?
1. Look at the wine.
Assess its color, density and viscosity. If you look closely, you can determine the age, strength and grape variety. Unless, of course, you plan to become a real sommelier or teach someone how to drink wine properly. Not? Then you can move on to the next items.
2. Breathe in the wine.
From the first notes, you can smell fruits, herbs or flowers. In addition, secondary aromas depend on winemaking methods. So, the most common smells are cheese crust, nutshells (almonds, peanuts) or stale beer. They are typical mainly for white wines. And at the end, you can smell the aroma of roasted nuts, gingerbread, vanilla, tobacco, cedar and even autumn leaves.
3. Next comes a sip.
Wine can taste sour, sweet, bitter and sometimes salty. All wines will be slightly sour because all grapes contain acid. Some varieties are distinguished by their bitterness (for example, Pinot Grigio), it gives a light, pleasant tonic flavor. By the way, white table wines sometimes retain grape sugar, and this adds a natural sweetness to the drink. Very rare wines have a salty taste, there are both red and white ones. The taste of wine stays with you for some time even after you have swallowed it.
4. You can “talk” to wine.
For example, consider whether the taste was balanced (or too sour, too alcoholic, too tannic). Did you like the wine, did you remember its taste. And also, have you ever tried a similar wine, would like to repeat it, etc. The conversation can be long.
Council number 4. Wine and food
In fact, the guarantor of a balanced and pleasant taste of the drink when consumed with food is their competent tandem. Here are a few rules on how to drink wine correctly and combine it with food:
- The wine should be sourer or sweeter than the food.
- Red wines pair best with fatty meats (e.g. beef, red fish).
- White wines pair better with lighter meats (such as white fish or poultry).
- Sparkling, white and rosé wines are best paired with products that contrast in taste and aroma.
- Red wines are more profitable to combine with similar wines the taste of the products, thereby enhancing the taste properties of the pair.
Council number 5. open bottle
If you suddenly have unfinished bottles (bottle) of wine left, how can you store it after opening it and is it possible at all? Can. But it all depends on the type and age of the wine.
A sparkling wine. Store for 1-3 days in the refrigerator with a stopper. Sparkling wines lose their bubbles quickly after opening.
Young white, sweet white or rosé wine. 5-7 days in the refrigerator with a stopper. However, after the first day, the taste may change slightly because the wine will start to oxidize. The overall fruity aroma will become less intense.
Full-bodied white wine (full-bodied is a thicker, stronger or sweeter wine). Keeps for 3-5 days in the refrigerator with a stopper. Full-bodied white wines oxidize more quickly because they have interacted more with oxygen before bottling.
Red wine. It also keeps for 3-5 days in the refrigerator with a cork. You can also just in a dark cool place. As well as red wine, after opening, it is stored for the maximum possible period, when it has a high content of tannin and acidity.
Fortified wine. Up to a month in the refrigerator or in a cool, dark place with a stopper. By the way, fortified wines have a long shelf life due to the addition of brandy to them. The only wines that will last forever are Madeira and Marsala.