Wine drinking and serving is not a simple case of picking the fanciest looking glass for the most expensive bottle. All wine enthusiasts know that there are numerous factors that go into the consumption of wine, from temperature to the shape of the glass ware uses, these all affect the taste and overall experience during drinking.
Do not worry, serving wine is not difficult at all, it’s more of a case of knowing and not knowing, and by the time you are done reading this guide post you will definitely be in the know of things.
Table of Contents
Step.1. Storage
It’s not about just having a wine rack for everyone to see, you must strategically place your bottles in suitable environments to ensure they retain their flavor and are aging properly. Wine bottles must be kept sideways this is to ensure the cork is moist and no air will seep in. Do not put your wine rack next to a window; direct sunlight and heat are a definite no in terms of wine keeping. A cool underground wine cellar is the ideal place, but if you do not have one then under the staircase would be fine.
Step.2. Serving temperature
Each wine is best served at different temperatures, this is due to the fact that wine evaporates, and having the right temperature will release the right amount of aroma, this would in turn add to the flavor. So storage temperature before serving should be monitored
Here is a short chart on the types and storage temperatures required, from lowest to highest.
- Sparkling Wine: 48˚F (9˚ C)
- White Wine: 53˚F (12˚ C)
- Rose Wine: 51˚F (11˚ C)
- Red Wine: 62˚F (17˚ C)
Step.3. Opening a bottle of wine
Select which opener you would prefer using, make sure you can handle the opener with no trouble at all and that you can open it in a single action. If you are a beginner or a person who does not have much strength in your arms, it is wise to use an automatic electrical opener or a mechanical one which does not require much effort.
But if you are well known for being closely associated with wine it is wise to present yourself with a sommelier knife, your guests will enjoy seeing your skills in action.
Step.4. The type of glass
The type of glass you use to serve wine will affect the taste and temperature shift of your wine. A general rule of thumb which governs the 3 most basic types of wine is something that you should remember; it is also something that you won’t forget after awhile.
- Red wine
Red wine glasses are rather wide and stout, they are like a bowl in a sense, this allows the wine to have a larger contact surface with air, and it also makes swirling the wine easier. - White wine
The regular tulip shaped wine glass, rather thin and fairly smaller than red wine glasses, this is to ensure the surface area is reduced to prevent the wine from warming up too quickly. - Sparkling wine
All wines which produce bubbles are poured into tall and thin glasses with a rim that is curved outwards, this helps keep the wine cold and ensure proper bubble formation.
A decanter should be used if you are serving old wines, this separates the sediments. A decanter also allows the wine to get into contact with air at a suitable rate.
Step.5. Pouring wine
Pour it slowly into the center glass, try to get the end of the bottle as close to the rim of the glass as possible, and don’t make bubbles while pouring. That’s all there is to it and make sure your guest swirls the wine.
So that’s all you needed to know on serving wine, if you follow these steps you are sure to be a great host.
