Serving wine is more of an artful style than a formality and always enhances the wine-tasting experience, especially for those who are not accustomed to fine wine. By serving wine at the correct temperature and in the right wine glasses, the wine will taste better. By understanding the do's and don'ts of serving wine, you can become the instrument for wine appreciation amongst your friends and associates. Anyone who has spent a fair amount on a bottle of wine will appreciate knowing how to serve and taste to get the most from the experience.
The general assumption is that wine is meant to be enjoyed with food, but with the many complexities and nuances that wine has to offer you may find that food will detract more that it enhances. In some case it is true that the wine will enhance the flavor, but in others it may take several sips from your glass to return to the complexities that you enjoy most about that particular wine. This topic is reserved for your personal preferences.
Before pouring consider the glass and temperature for the wine you are serving - see below.
Fill the glass to no more than two-thirds full, generously splashing the wine towards the center of the wine glass to allow the wine to "open up" before drinking. (Sparkling wine should be poured slowly against the glass, to preserve the bubbles.) You can also swirl the wine in the glass to allow the wine to open more so you can better smell the bouquet of the varietal. Give the wine a half minute or so before you smell because what is happening here is that the wine is mixing with air and also drying a bit on the sides of the glass, intensifying the nuances of what you will enjoy as you drink the wine over the next hour or so. This approach also allows you to evaluate a wine at a restaurant to determine if the wine has been kept well and is to your liking. If you try a wine without doing this you will most likely not be able to smell or taste what the wine really has to offer. The decanting process is simply a more advanced step in allowing the wine to open up before drinking and is often needed for older more age worthy wines that need the extra time to show their character. You will experience the benefit when you decant your first 10 year old Bordeaux and taste the difference when you open the wine and then again one hour later. As with any hobby, you will learn how to get the most out of your wine the more you indulge, just as it should be. Twist the bottle slightly as your lift it upright to control dripping. You can also have a small linen handy for more formal occasions.
When serving wine at a dinner party, always serve the women and older guests first, then the men and reserve the final pour for yourself. A toast, even if only to your health, is always a good start to a fine wine. As needed, serve additional wine throughout the meal.
The temperature of the wine when you serve will always affect its taste. A rule of thumb is to serve champagne chilled to 35° to 40° F; white wines between 40° to 45° and red wines around 55° to 60°F. Once opened, the bottle should be left at the table or serving area and allowed to warm up, which many connoisseurs believe releases more flavor. Champagne should also be kept on ice during service.
It usually takes a bottle of wine ten minutes in the fridge to reduce its temperature by 4° F. So if the room temperature is 65° F in the wine storage area, you will need to place the wine in the refrigerator for almost 40 minutes before service.
If a wine bottle has noticeable sediment, allow it to stand upright for an hour or so, this will allow the sediment to settle in the bottom of the bottle. This can take place during the chilling process in the refrigerator, or you can decant the wine, especially if the wine can benefit from opening up.
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Another important consideration in serving wine is the type of glass that is used. The shape of the glass affects the taste as well. There are three basic types of wine glasses: the tulip shaped wine glasses which are designed to enhance white wine; rounded, larger bowled wine glasses for red wines; and tall, thin wine glasses for sparkling wines.
When you first get into wine collecting, you may opt to purchase all-purpose wine glasses. These stemmed wine glasses usually hold 10 ounces of wine and are clear with an inward curve near the top of the glass. This holds in the smell or bouquet of the wine and enhances its taste. Eventually you will want to invest in a collection of wine glasses, each made for a specific type of wine.
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