Discover the essentials of wine appreciation with these straightforward tips. Learn how to prepare, serve, and talk about wine like a pro, whether you're hosting a dinner party or simply enjoying a glass at home.
Preparation: Serving Wine the Right Way
White Wine
Chill Time: Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
Quick Chill: If you're short on time, remove the cork to speed up the chilling process.
Avoid Over-Chilling: Over-chilling can dull the wine's flavor.
Red Wine
Room Temperature: Serve at room temperature.
Breathing Time: Uncork an hour before drinking to let it breathe.
Aeration: Pour the wine into a clean glass jug and back into the bottle to aerate it. Avoid this with mature wines to prevent disturbing the sediment.
Inspecting the Cork
Check for Mould or Discoloration: If present, ensure it doesn't extend into the bottle. If it stops at the top, wipe it off and proceed.
Corked Wine: This means the wine is contaminated by the cork, not that it has bits of cork in it. You'll know by the unpleasant smell or taste. In a restaurant, request a new bottle if this happens.
Pairing Wine with Food
General Rules
Order of Serving: Serve white wine before red, and young wine before old.
Weight Matching: Pair light wines with light foods and heavy wines with heavy foods.
Common Pairings
Wine Type
Food Type
Riesling
White Fish
Sauvignon Blanc
Steak Fish
Chardonnay
Chicken
Beaujolais
Pork
Pinot Noir
Beef
Merlot
Beef
Zinfandel
Beef
Cabernet Sauvignon
Beef
Choosing the Right Glass
Tulip-Shaped Glasses for Red Wine: These glasses help contain the aromas and prevent spills when swirling the wine.
Flavor Profiles to Know
Pinot Noir: Cherries or mushrooms
Beaujolais: Strawberries
Merlot: Plums
Shiraz: Leather or barnyard smells
Nebbiolo: Roses and tar
Sauvignon Blanc: Grass
Riesling: Petrol
Understanding Wine Labels
New World vs. Old World
New World Wines: Named after the grape (e.g., U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Argentina, Chile).
Old World Wines: Named after the region (e.g., France, Italy, Spain). For example, what California calls Chardonnay, France calls white Burgundy.
Interesting Wine Facts
Red vs. White Wine Production: Red wine can only be made from red grapes, but white wine can be made from both white and red grapes.
Origin of "Rule of Thumb": Brewers used to dip a thumb or finger into the liquid to check the temperature for adding yeast, leading to the phrase "rule of thumb."
Pompeii's Wine Bars: When Mount Vesuvius erupted, it buried over 200 wine bars in Pompeii.
