Serving Wine
While it may seem a trivial thing, serving wine correctly can
add class to any occasion from a casual get-together with
friends to a more formal wine and dinner party. Here are some
things you should know about preparing, serving and pouring
wine, and types of wine glasses suitable for the wines served.
|
Serving
Temperatures
|
|
Wine
Type
|
°F
|
°C
|
|
Sparkling
Wine
|
42-54
|
6-10
|
|
Rosé
Wine
|
48-54
|
9-12
|
|
White
Wine
|
48-58
|
9-14
|
|
Sherry
(Light)
|
48-58
|
9-14
|
|
Red
Wine
|
57-68
|
13-20
|
|
Fortified
Wine
|
57-68
|
13-20
|
|
Sherry
(Dark)
|
57-68
|
13-20
|
|
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 cheap wine—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 2 °C (4 °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,
35 minutes in the freezer will do the trick.
Decanting
Wine
Decanting
is pouring wine into a decorative container 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 flavour
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
slowing pour the wine into the decanter keeping the bottle
angled to prevent any sediment from making its way into the wine
decanter. The wine can be poured through cheesecloth to help
filter out any wayward particles. Decanting wine should be done
out of the guests' sight.
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, smell the bouquet and check out the
wine's "legs." 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 colour of the
wine and its body, and have a slight curve in at the top to hold
in the bouquet. While an all-purpose wine glass is fine for
serving a red wine, do not serve a white wine in a red wine
glass. |
