24 December 2007 by Sandy Hemphill
Serving and Storing Fine Wines (Part 1)
Wine lovers everywhere are probably familiar with the “tricks” that surround the serving and storing of fine wines but the prospect of doing so may likely mystify the rest of us.
There are no real tricks or secrets. A lot of the details depend on the circumstances and your personal preferences.
To begin with, it’s nice to have a trusted corkscrew or two at the ready. They come in different sizes, shapes, and configurations and no one of them is really superior to the others. It’s just what works easiest for you.
A two-pronged butler’s friend, with a loop on top for grasping and pulling, is preferred in places where many bottles are opened in quick succession and the cork needs to be retained, such as at a winery. It is almost impossible to break the cork with these devices, once you get the hang of it. You’ll even come to understand and appreciate the tool’s other name – ah so!
The folding corkscrews waiters and wine stewards carry in their pockets are pretty trustworthy and the screwpull is a favorite, too. The screwpull is the one that sits on top of the bottle and sports a “crank” on the top. Place the screwpull squarely over the top of the bottle and turn the crank to twist the spiral coil (screw) down into the cork, then simply turn the other way to remove the cork from the bottle.
One type of corkscrew that seems best avoided is the two-piece type consisting of a screw and handle shaped in a simple “T” formation. These never seem to work and usually generate more frustration and broken cork than wine consumption. Leave them in the drawer.
When opening a bottle of Champagne, always be aware that, if left unchecked, the cork can pop off at any time, without any human intervention. This can be dangerous.
Once the foil wrapper is removed, and especially when the wire is removed, always hold the bottle with one palm securely over the cork to prevent injury to people and injury to delicate objects nearby.
When handling Champagne bottles, take care to avoid agitating the bottles. Excess motion will increase the pressure within the bottle. This means the bubbly will spew out of the bottle and onto the server, the floor, and almost everything else except in the glass that’s waiting for it.
One very effective way of opening a bottle of Champagne is to grasp the cork and hold it still and firmly with one hand, usually not the dominant one. With the dominant hand, gently twist the bottle away from the cork.
Stay tuned… in Part 2 we discuss Decanting, Pouring, Chilling, and Storing.