Wine is for everyone … our simple wine guide
Purchasing Wine – choosing your wine in the shop.
Most wines should be drunk within 3 years of their making, therefore there is no need to buy older wines, unless you know what you are after. Older wines should be slightly more expensive and if not then you might want to be wary of these. If you do purchase a more expensive wine, one thing to keep in mind is that the bottle is filled until the neck of the bottle. Also bottles showing leakages should be avoided as this could have cause oxidation.
Decant?
Port and ripe mature red wines which have much deposit. For best results make sure that the bottle has stood upright for a while before decanting.
Wine Glass
Wine glasses come in many different shapes and they do affect the taste of wine and this is something worth looking into. Very roughly, a wine glass should be narrow with thin legs and a strong base. The idea behind the wine glass shape is that the wide base and narrow top will concentrate the fragrances.
Serving Temperature
The temperature of wine is actually a preference as the wine will taste differently. However while experimenting, the main rule is that sparkling, dessert and easy to drink white wines should be served chilled. They need to be fresh and fruity. More filling white wines can be served a bit warmer. When it comes to red wines, Beaujolais, Pinot Noir and Loire wines can be served slightly ‘cooler’ than room temperature. Strong red wines such as Shiraz, Bordeaux or Rhone in general should be served at “cellar” temperature but preferably leaning towards 18 degrees.
Drinking Wine
Remember that the skill of pairing is not much more important than remembering to actually enjoy the moment and the occasion. When tasting wine, in order to get more intense flavours, lace the lips together and inhale through them. Then the wine is “chewed” and rinsed through the mouth in order to release all of these flavours. After swallowing one can breathe long through the nose and mouth, to see how long and deep the taste is. In order to get more aromas from the wine it is also useful to swirl the wine around in the glass properly before drinking. The right way to hold a wine glass is by the foot and this would also guarantee that not fragrances from the hand interfere with the wine.
Food Pairing
Then choose the right cheese or food to fit the wine. The main idea behind wine and food pairing (as otherwise this can be quite a complex art), is that strong wine should go with strong food. For lighter wines there is more room to choose. The risk is that a very full-flavoured wine might dominate the food.
Remember that wine was invented in Europe just as any other food. It was not reserved for “finesse”, or for “special people”. It was just the same as eating. On the other hand, being too careful with strict rules might cause you to miss the “next big wine”…
Keeping wine
Good wines that can age need to be kept carefully. The most critical aspects are that the wine lies down, preferably in a wine stand, in a dark, chilled environment. The temperature of the wine should also not fluctuate much.
