Subject: How to Serve Wine
Content: How to Serve Wine- tuscanytonight.com While it may seem a trivial thing, serving
wine correctly can add enjoyment to any occasion from a casual
get-together with friends to a more formal dinner party. Here are some
helpful tips you should know about preparing, serving and pouring wine,
and types of wine glasses suitable for the wines served. Wine Serving Temperatures The
temperature at which a wine is served has an immense impact on its
taste. Serving wine cool will mask some imperfections - good for young
or inexpensive wines—while a warmer wine temperature allows expression
of the wine‘s characteristics—best with an older or more expensive
wine.
A bottle of wine will cool 4 degrees (F) for every ten minutes in the
refrigerator, and will warm at about this same rate when removed from
the refrigerator and left at room temperature - the temperature of the
room will affect the speed with which the wine warms up. If you need to
chill a bottle of wine in a hurry, 20 minutes in the freezer will do
the trick.
Decanting Wine Decanting
is pouring wine into another vessel before serving. Decanting is
typically only necessary for older wines or Ports, which contain
sediment that can add bitterness to the wine. Wine decanters allow the
wine to breathe and may improve the flavor of older red wines. Younger
wines also benefit from the aeration and rest that decanting provides.
But a wine decanter can also be used simply for aesthetic reasons.
Before decanting a wine that contains sediment let the bottle rest
upright allowing any sediment to sink to the bottom. Then slowly pour
the wine into the decanter keeping the bottle angled to prevent any
sediment from making its way into the wine decanter.
Pouring Wine Still
wines should be poured towards the centre of the glass, while sparkling
wines should be poured against the side to preserve bubbles. To control
drips, twist the bottle slightly as you tilt it upright.
When pouring wine, fill the glass no more than two-thirds (about 5-6
oz). This will allow your guests to swirl the wine and smell the
bouquet. A glass can always be refilled if desired. At a dinner party,
serve wine to the women and older guests first, then the men, and end
with your own glass. Wine Glasses As
important as wine serving temperatures is the type of wine glasses in
which wines are served. The shape of a wine glass can impact the taste
of the wine, and for this reason different types of wine are served in
different glasses.
The three main types of wine glasses are:
- White wine glasses: tulip shaped
- Red wine glasses: more rounded and have a larger bowl
- Sparkling wine flutes: tall and thin.
A suitable all-purpose wine glass should hold 10 oz, be transparent to
allow the taster to examine the color of the wine and its body, and
have a slight curve in at the top to hold in the bouquet. Remember, too
big a glass is better than too small, and the thinner the glass (or
crystal) the better.
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