The art of drinking wine at home
By John Isacs |
April 26, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
DRINKING wine at home can be one of the sublime pleasures of life. It can also be a tragedy. Whether you dine outside or in your family confines, some basic considerations can greatly enhance your drinking experience.
In this week's column I'd like to illustrate five factors that will greatly enhance your home wine experience.
Glasses
Anything cultural and beautiful deserves respect. We don't put our best art in the bathroom and we shouldn't put wine in an undeserving or offending vessel. I freely admit that the plethora of specialized wine glasses on the market today can be confusing and quite frankly superfluous, but a good glass is a basic necessity in wine appreciation.
It was only in the late 19th century when a Austrian company Riedel started tailoring the shapes of glasses for specific styles or types of wine. Today for almost every popular varietal and wine there's a customized glass. This is fun, but unnecessary. When picking a suitable glass for home, the first selection criteria is generosity.
Any good wine deserves an amply-sized glass whether it's a more narrow Sauvignon Blanc glass or an open Chardonnay glass. In the wine world, size matters. A wine needs space to optimize its aromas and showcase it colors and viscosity.
Wine glasses should not be colored. In the Middle Ages most wines were drunk from metallic or ceramic glasses. It is important to note that most the wines of the Middle Ages were also quite brutish and even brutal, certainly not the refined liquids we enjoy today. Assessing and appreciating the color of a wine was relatively unimportant. That's not true today when a wine's color and brilliance are important criteria in judging its quality.
The perfect glass is indeed not made of glass but rather of crystal. Real crystal contains lead and gives the perfect tactility to wine. Just taste the same wine in a small thin glass and in a generously sized thin crystal glass, and I need write no more. I've done this simple test countless times and crystal is always the champion.
It's also quite important to rinse you glass each time before using it. Depending where you store the glass, in the cupboard, in a box or near food, the glasses are prone to develop ambient aromas and compromise your drinking experience.
Temperature
Wine is all about time. In the Old World it took thousands of years to perfect the art of winemaking and enjoyment, in the New World it has taken centuries. Making a quality wine cannot be rushed and when the varietal and style of wine justifies, the aging of wine in a barrel or bottle is another essential factor in its quality. But no matter how careful or skillful the winemaker is, all the hard work is useless if you serve the wine at the wrong temperature.
All wines are quite sensitive to the environment and need to be served at the proper temperature. The most heavy and structured red wines should be served at about 18 degrees Celsius and lighter reds a few degrees cooler. That means putting the red wine in your refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes before serving. This is especially important in the summer months when temperatures at home are higher. Lesser white should be served well-chilled or at about 8 degrees Celsius, while the best white wines and vintage Champagnes can be served at 12 degrees Celsius.
Oxygen
Once opened, most quality wines benefit from some breathing time. Basic wine education teaches us that red wine requires breathing time to settle, soften their tannins and open up. The truth is that many quality white wines also benefit from some time in the glass as they interact with oxygen. Several of my Burgundy winemaking friends will even decant their white wines while refusing to do so with their Pinot Noirs. Great Cabernet Sauvignon reds may require several hours of breathing time before they can express their best attributes. When drinking at home, give you wine some time to breathe and settle into its new environment and it shall reward you with a richer drinking experience.
Trust yourself & make notes
Few industries can be as stuffy and elitist as the wine industry. We sometimes forget that the real beauty of wine is something very natural that can be appreciated by everyone - whether you're a beginner or expert. Anything as beautiful and often as complicated or confusing as wine takes some effort and learning to fully appreciate.
While it's helpful to read about wines and listen to experts, the only way to really increase your wine knowledge and appreciation is to trust your own taste.
Another key element in appreciating wine and learning about wine at home is to take notes. Jot down the full name of the wine that includes producer, style or varietal, region and vintage as well as a few words on the wines color and appearance, the aromas and flavors and textures and this will help you remember what wine types and styles you like. Without memory you may enjoy a wine but quickly forget its names and qualities. When you make notes you have a quick reference to steer you in the direction of the wines you favor.
Practical ending
Four terrific wines that I've enjoyed at home in Shanghai over the last few weeks that are sure to redefine the art of living at home are the ANTECH Cuvee Elegance Brut NV, an elegant and reasonably priced sparkling wine from the south of France; the Los Vascos Chardonnay, a terrific richly flavored Chilean white; the L'as de Roudier 2001, one of the most classy and balanced affordable Bordeaux reds available in China, and the Torbreck Old Vines GSM 2007, an exciting blend of the southern Rhone varietals Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre.
All these are quite different but all offer high quality at affordable prices and are perfect for home drinking.
In this week's column I'd like to illustrate five factors that will greatly enhance your home wine experience.
Glasses
Anything cultural and beautiful deserves respect. We don't put our best art in the bathroom and we shouldn't put wine in an undeserving or offending vessel. I freely admit that the plethora of specialized wine glasses on the market today can be confusing and quite frankly superfluous, but a good glass is a basic necessity in wine appreciation.
It was only in the late 19th century when a Austrian company Riedel started tailoring the shapes of glasses for specific styles or types of wine. Today for almost every popular varietal and wine there's a customized glass. This is fun, but unnecessary. When picking a suitable glass for home, the first selection criteria is generosity.
Any good wine deserves an amply-sized glass whether it's a more narrow Sauvignon Blanc glass or an open Chardonnay glass. In the wine world, size matters. A wine needs space to optimize its aromas and showcase it colors and viscosity.
Wine glasses should not be colored. In the Middle Ages most wines were drunk from metallic or ceramic glasses. It is important to note that most the wines of the Middle Ages were also quite brutish and even brutal, certainly not the refined liquids we enjoy today. Assessing and appreciating the color of a wine was relatively unimportant. That's not true today when a wine's color and brilliance are important criteria in judging its quality.
The perfect glass is indeed not made of glass but rather of crystal. Real crystal contains lead and gives the perfect tactility to wine. Just taste the same wine in a small thin glass and in a generously sized thin crystal glass, and I need write no more. I've done this simple test countless times and crystal is always the champion.
It's also quite important to rinse you glass each time before using it. Depending where you store the glass, in the cupboard, in a box or near food, the glasses are prone to develop ambient aromas and compromise your drinking experience.
Temperature
Wine is all about time. In the Old World it took thousands of years to perfect the art of winemaking and enjoyment, in the New World it has taken centuries. Making a quality wine cannot be rushed and when the varietal and style of wine justifies, the aging of wine in a barrel or bottle is another essential factor in its quality. But no matter how careful or skillful the winemaker is, all the hard work is useless if you serve the wine at the wrong temperature.
All wines are quite sensitive to the environment and need to be served at the proper temperature. The most heavy and structured red wines should be served at about 18 degrees Celsius and lighter reds a few degrees cooler. That means putting the red wine in your refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes before serving. This is especially important in the summer months when temperatures at home are higher. Lesser white should be served well-chilled or at about 8 degrees Celsius, while the best white wines and vintage Champagnes can be served at 12 degrees Celsius.
Oxygen
Once opened, most quality wines benefit from some breathing time. Basic wine education teaches us that red wine requires breathing time to settle, soften their tannins and open up. The truth is that many quality white wines also benefit from some time in the glass as they interact with oxygen. Several of my Burgundy winemaking friends will even decant their white wines while refusing to do so with their Pinot Noirs. Great Cabernet Sauvignon reds may require several hours of breathing time before they can express their best attributes. When drinking at home, give you wine some time to breathe and settle into its new environment and it shall reward you with a richer drinking experience.
Trust yourself & make notes
Few industries can be as stuffy and elitist as the wine industry. We sometimes forget that the real beauty of wine is something very natural that can be appreciated by everyone - whether you're a beginner or expert. Anything as beautiful and often as complicated or confusing as wine takes some effort and learning to fully appreciate.
While it's helpful to read about wines and listen to experts, the only way to really increase your wine knowledge and appreciation is to trust your own taste.
Another key element in appreciating wine and learning about wine at home is to take notes. Jot down the full name of the wine that includes producer, style or varietal, region and vintage as well as a few words on the wines color and appearance, the aromas and flavors and textures and this will help you remember what wine types and styles you like. Without memory you may enjoy a wine but quickly forget its names and qualities. When you make notes you have a quick reference to steer you in the direction of the wines you favor.
Practical ending
Four terrific wines that I've enjoyed at home in Shanghai over the last few weeks that are sure to redefine the art of living at home are the ANTECH Cuvee Elegance Brut NV, an elegant and reasonably priced sparkling wine from the south of France; the Los Vascos Chardonnay, a terrific richly flavored Chilean white; the L'as de Roudier 2001, one of the most classy and balanced affordable Bordeaux reds available in China, and the Torbreck Old Vines GSM 2007, an exciting blend of the southern Rhone varietals Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre.
All these are quite different but all offer high quality at affordable prices and are perfect for home drinking.
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