27 December 2007 by Sandy Hemphill
Serving and Storing Fine Wines (Part 2)
Once still wine is opened, the question is decant or not decant. It’s almost a non-issue these days as modern winemaking techniques eliminate almost all the sediment that could possibly work its way into your bottle.
If you are fortunate enough to have a very rich, fine, red wine that is more than about ten years old, you may choose to decant. This means you will simply but gently pour the wine into another container and serve from the fresh container.
You won’t want to pour every single drop into the fresh container since it’s the sediment that has fallen to the bottom of the bottle that brings about the need to decant in the first place. Pour as much of the clear wine as you can and leave the murky stuff from the bottom of the bottle.
Temperature is important but confusing to many people. As a general rule of thumb, all wine is excellent when served at a cool room temperature, usually in the lower to mid 60-degree range.
Chilled wines don’t need to be as cold as iced beverages to be fully enjoyed, either. Usually an hour or so in a refrigerator is enough to make the wine refreshing without disguising flavors. If working with temperature, somewhere in the low 50s is cool enough.
Many people think the temperature law is that red wines are always served at room temperature and whites are always chilled. This isn’t necessarily so.
Reds generally are much more complex and flavorful than whites. This complexity is more apparent when the wine is on the warmer side but, again, the upper 60s degree range is plenty warm enough.
On a hot day in a warm climate, an hour in the refrigerator can be a highly beneficial thing to do to a fine red wine.
With whites, many of the finest are best at a cool room temperature rather than chilled. Chill the less expensive ones and enjoy the way the room temperature brings out all the best characteristics of the finer ones.
When serving different wines that are paired with different courses of a meal, always serve the lighter whites first and get more robust with each course.
You could start with Champagne for appetizers, Chardonnay with salads, a hearty red with the main course. Finish with more Champagne for dessert or perhaps a nice Port or Sherry, depending on what the dessert is.
When buying wine in quantity or for long-term keeping, be sure to store it in a cool, dark area where it will remain as undisturbed as possible. Avoid exposure to heat and sunlight at all times.
Store wine on its side, especially for long-term storage. This angle keeps the cork moist and a bit swollen at all times.
If a bottle of wine is stored upright for a long time, the cork will dry out and shrink, allowing air to enter the bottle. When oxygen comes in contact the wine, it can cause oxidation, which spoils the wine and makes it unfit for drinking.
There are really no mysteries to enjoying wine. The single most important thing to remember is to enjoy it often as part of a happy gathering of kindred spirits.