It’s great to invest in a bottle of luxury wine to impress those closest and dearest, but the endurance piece is the way to present it.
According to a top line sommelier, the way the wine is poured can enrich its taste, as well as adding a touch of class to the overall experience.
In addition, the style of the glass served by white or red can also affect your valuation, as certain varieties are better suited to particular shapes.
The festive season is the perfect time to master the ability to pour wine, and drinking it (in moderation) can help you overcome it.
Here Lukasz Kolodziejczyk, head of good wine at Cult Wines, shares his best tips for serving your best bottle of wine.
According to a top line sommelier, the way the wine is poured can enrich its taste, as well as adding a touch of class to the overall experience. Stock image
START DECANTING
Ideally, settling should be done before you even think about pouring a glass.
The settling act has two functions. Firstly, to prevent natural sediments from reaching the glass and, secondly, to help the wine aerate and “open” before drinking it.
Of course, the process also serves an aesthetic purpose, as an elegant glass decanter is an excellent centerpiece.
There are many shapes and styles of decanters available, but sometimes we have to remember the main reason why I would decant a bottle of wine.
The wine has to breathe, some more than others, but ideally we would like to give so much surface area for the decanter to do its job.
Wider decanters, such as the Riedel Decanter Ultra, on the left, are good for full-bodied red and white wines, while a narrower one such as the Zalto Carafe 75 ml, on the right, fits better to white wines that do not require so much space to awaken the characteristics.
The wider the base of the decanter, the better – especially for red and white wines with a fuller body. Increasing the surface you provide will improve ventilation and bring out the best in your wine, its flavors and aromas will develop even more during decantation.
Younger, tannic wines usually require more time to open; some may benefit from settling several hours before drinking. Older, more mature wines tend to take less time to reach their full potential.
A narrower decanter is best suited for white wines that do not need as much space to awaken the characteristics when transferred from the bottle.
Choose the right glass
It’s your home and your rules, so you can really serve your wine the way you want. However, wine experts largely agree that the right style of wine glass, combined with the right wine, will make the difference in your tasting experience.
There are dozens of glass styles to choose from and for the experienced wine drinker it can add up to a requirement for a large number of cabinets.
Fortunately, there are many attractive “universal” glass options on the market, as well as those designed for specific varieties.
Bordeaux / Merlot / Cabernet
Red wines such as Merlot, Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon benefit from a tall wine glass with a large bowl that sticks slightly to its opening.
The glasses of these wines are usually the tallest you’ll find, with a large bowl that tapers slightly toward the opening.
This allows you to get your nose into the glass for a good smell and for the ethanol to evaporate easily, helping the wine to have a milder flavor and providing fruity flavors.
Syrah / Shiraz / Malbec / Sangiovese
Reds like Syrah, Shiraz, Malbec and Sangiovese are best served in a smaller glass with a smaller opening to help soften the wine.
These wines tend to have more tannic and spicy flavors, so their corresponding glass has a slightly smaller bowl with a smaller opening.
This helps soften the wine as it reaches the palette more slowly. Meanwhile, a lower grade helps catch the aromas so you can make the most of the flavors of the wine.
Burgundy / Pinot Noir
A juicy red wine from Burgundy or Pinot Noir is best suited for a glass with a wide bowl to allow more oxygen to come in contact with the wine
The glasses for these wines are usually the widest and shortest styles.
A wide bowl allows more oxygen to come into contact with the wine, while the smaller opening and high degree of volume reduction help to pick up the bold aromas of the wine and direct its intense flavors towards the right side of the tongue.
Sauvignon Blanc / Riesling
Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling can be served in the same style and shape as glass, usually with a medium and long stem and a narrow bowl with a light shot.
White wine glasses are usually smaller in height and size than red wine glasses. Because their aromas are much clearer, this allows the wine to get closer to the nose.
Despite their different characteristics, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling can be served with the same style and shape of glass, usually with a medium-long stem and a narrow bowl with a slight shot.
For Sauvignon Blanc, this helps minimize the oxygen levels in the glass and makes it easier to detect wine aromas.
Meanwhile, for Riesling, this helps to concentrate the aromas in the top half of the bowl.
Chardonnay
The glasses with a large bowl that allows a large surface are ideal for whites with body and oak as Chardonnay
The glasses designed for Chardonnay are almost the opposite of those designed for Sauvignon Blanc.
These glasses have a large bowl, very similar to what is found in a glass for Burgundy or Pinot Noir, although they are usually even smaller.
The large bowl allows a large surface, ideal for white with body and aged oak.
LEARN THE LABEL
In general, it doesn’t really matter who is served first or how, but if you want to do things “according to the book,” the label dictates that women be served first and that glasses should always be filled from the right side. of the customer.
Winemakers are also very proud of their creations, and the label on a bottle is a representation of that pride.
Avoid removing the entire aluminum foil capsule from the top of the bottle; instead, cut it perfectly just below the lip of the bottle, so that the wine does not pass over the foil and on the label.
GET THE CORRECT AMOUNT
Now it’s time to pour the wine! Open the bottle cleanly and quietly (if not decanted) and, leaving the glass on the table, take the bottle to its bottom (never by the neck) and gently pour the wine into it.
The place exactly inside the glass doesn’t matter too much, as long as you avoid splashes.
Champagne poured with the glass tilted, like beer, retains more gas, which means there are fewer bubbles appearing at the top of the glass. Stock image
Take special care if it’s a sparkling wine – pour a small amount into the flute, let the bubbles rest, and then finish pouring until the glass is full to three-quarters full.
For red and white wines, the usual measure is about 125 ml for a smaller serving or 175 ml for a medium-sized serving.
This is quite tricky to do in sight, so usually the best option is to fill up to the widest part of the glass, or at least a couple of inches from the edge.
This gives the wine the best chance to breathe.
AVOID THE DRIBBLE OUTPUT
No one likes a sloppy dump, and even if you follow the tips above in the letter, in the end the efforts could easily be undone.
Once you have finished pouring, just before you stretch the bottle, give it a quick quarter turn with your wrist and then tilt it vertically.
You can also keep a crisp white cloth nearby to clean the mouth of the bottle afterwards, just in case.
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