How To Achieve The Perfect Glass Of Wine
Tips For A Perfect Glass Of Wine
Enjoying a glass of wine should be a pleasurable experience, and it is not as simple as just opening up a bottle and finding any old glass to pour it into. In fact, there are a number of different factors to consider such as temperature, storages, and breathing space – not to mention the wine glasses themselves! Treat your wine drinking experience right and it will taste all the better when you come to actually drinking it.
Store Your Wine Correctly
Your first point of action is to ensure that the wine is stored correctly. You should try to find a place that is both dry and dark. Direct sunlight can cause amino acids to oxidize, which will alter the flavor of the wine. White wine can be especially susceptible as it tends to be stored in clear bottles. If you are struggling to keep the light off, you could keep the wine in a box or wrapped in a light cloth. Avoid anywhere that is too hot as this can cause the wine to spoil. If you have corked wine bottles, it is especially important that you do not store them in an upright position, which can cause the cork to dry out and lead to oxygen exposure and spoiling. A wine rack is a nice and stylish way of avoiding this particular problem. If possible, you should avoid the kitchen as the strong odors here and negatively impact your glass of wine. Avoid storing it in the fridge in the long-term. It is best to put your bottle of white wine in the day before you are going to drink it and finish the bottle within three days once it has been opened.
Get the Temperature Right
The right temperature of your wine depends first and foremost on whether you are drinking red or white. The former is supposed to be served at ‘room temperature’, but this can be different depending on where you are in the world and the current season. Originally, this term would have come from medieval France, so between 14 and 16 degrees is appropriate. As for white wines, you should take the bottle out of the fridge for around half an hour before serving. A wine cooler & wine preserver can prove to be perfect.
Choose the Best Glasses
The glasses that you choose can also end up having an impact on your wine. Red wine needs glasses with a large, wide bowl as this is more suited to the bolder flavors and aromas. It will also aerate the wine as you drink it and release more flavor. Conversely, white wines are better suited to a narrower bowl, which brings the more subtle aromas to the nose. As they expose less of the wine’s surface area to the air, this also helps to preserve the chill of the wine. As for sparkling wine, it is the long and narrow ‘flute’ shape that will help to keep it bubbly for the longest possible time. Even the size of the rim can end up having an impact on the taste as this will affect how easily the wine flows onto your tongue.
Uncork and Pour
If you have a bottle of wine with a cork in it, you need to make a special effort to remove it in one go and prevent bits of the cork from going into the bottle, which will negatively impact the flavor. When it comes to pouring the wine, you should never fill the glass to the brim. In fact, you should be aiming to fill it to around a third of the volume to allow some breathing space and also giving you the opportunity to further oxidize the wine by swirling it around.
Hold and Drink
Good wine is designed to be sipped rather than glugged so you can really appreciate the flavor. You should hold the wine glass by the stem as this will prevent your hands from warming up the main part of the glass and negatively impacting the way that it tastes, as well as avoiding fingerprints.
Don’t Keep it Too Long
Bear in mind that most wines are not meant to age. Most bottles will not last more than a year or two, so don’t assume that leaving it to age is going to improve your wine immeasurably! A specific blend of tannins and sugars are required for a wine to taste better with age, and you will usually need to buy this type of bottle from a specialized seller.
As you can see from the advice above, there is a lot that can impact the enjoyment of your glass of wine, and it is worth getting it right to ensure that you enjoy the best drop of vino possible.
Source:
- The Science of Chilling Wine – BU Today | Boston University