Enjoying wine depends on storing and serving. Being successful in entertaining depends on the wine storage. Optimal flavor comes from the basics of time and place.
If you don’t have a wine cellar, try storing wine in a closet. A closet usually maintains an even temperature and is safe for storing wine. The wrong elements for wine are extreme temperature variation and sunlight. A cool dark place is where unopened wine should be stored. Between 45ºF and 65ºF is the temperature that most wines should be stored at before opening.
When storing the wine, be sure and store it on its side so that the cork remains moist. This keeps the cork from cracking or breaking when opened. Storing opened wine, red or white, can be done for 2 – 3 days in the refrigerator and with a vacuum wine sealer it can be stored for several days.
Showing proper wine serving etiquette is one way to impress your guests. By serving excellent wine with a little style will help set the mood for any type of entertaining. By removing white wine from the refrigerator about half an hour before serving it will be slightly chilled. By the time it is served it will have reached a good serving temperature.
Red wines are best when slightly below room temperatures, not chilled. Take the bottle of red wine that is room temperature and put it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before serving. This will impress your guests and supply an atmosphere for any type of entertaining. Tasting of the wine is another step to learn. To be a pro, there are five different tests to tasting wine.
Checking to make sure the wine is clear, with no sediments or some particles, like cork. Small amount of cork is acceptable. Pick up the glass by the stem, holding up to a white light or background gives you a clear view of the wine. Colors for white wine are pale yellow to amber gold and for red wines colors are from purple to brick red with colors in between. The intensity of the color will sometimes show due to a heavier body.
Aromas of the wine make the tasting experience another important step. Swirling the glass in small circles releases the aromas. Hold the glass to your nose and smell after swirling the glass for a few seconds. White wines are filled with aromas of floral, citrus and tropical fruit. Berry, dried fruit and spice are red wine aromas.
The human tongue can only taste sweet, sour, salty, butter and savory. While swirling wine in your mouth, inhale air in your mouth, as if doing it through a straw and this will create more flavors of taste. Fruit, floral or spice flavors will capture your taste just as they did your smell.
Wine has a weight or body and white wines are light bodied with medium to full bodies being the reds. This is where the taste test comes in by taking a sip of wine and tells yourself how it feels in your mouth. Is it light feel or is it a rounder feel due to the fuller body? After you swallow the wine do you have a lingering feeling that remains in your mouth? This can be a fairly short feeling or quite a long feeling. This called the finish.
A wine that will stand out to you and leave an impression on you mentally will have appearance, aromas, taste, body and finish. It will also have balance.
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