How to maximise your wine enjoyment - useful wine tips
I’m sure you don’t need too much help enjoying a bottle of wine – after all it’s one of life’s great pleasures - good company and you’re halfway there! However there are a few wine tips that can really help to ensure you get maximum enjoyment from each sip and we wanted to share them with you. We hope you find them useful!
Does wine get better with age?
A common question is when is the best time to drink wine for it to be at its best? Or how long should you leave a wine unopened before drinking it? This may not be relevant for an every-day type of wine but it is a key factor to consider with a more expensive wine.
Some wines get a lot better with age, developing more complex aromas and flavours, so it’s worthwhile considering which ones will age well – often it is the reds with lots of tannins (excluding pinot noir) and whites with lots of acidity.
Bottles ageing in the caves in Taittenger, Reims
What are wine tannins?
Tannins in wine come from the grape skins, seeds and stems, as well as from wooden barrels used during ageing. They provide texture, weight and structure to the wine and create the drying sensation in your mouth when you drink a red wine.
What is acidity in wine?
A wine’s acidity provides some of the backbone for long-term ageing and is defined naturally by the type of grape, soil, climate etc, but can also be manipulated by the winemaker to create a specific balance in the wine and flavour. High acidity wines will generally taste crisper and more tart, whereas wines with lower acidity will taste more smooth and rounded on the palate.
Tannins and acidity are 2 core components which determine your taste in wine. We both prefer more acidic wines and wines with fewer tannins - but that’s our personal preference - everyone is different!
The art of making wine….
See a few good examples below of types of wine grapes which age well:
Reds: Cabernet sauvignon; Merlot; Nebbiolo; Sangiovese; Syrah/shiraz; Vintage port
Whites: Chardonnay; Chenin Blanc; Riesling; Grüner veltliner; Sauternes (dessert wine)
How to store wine
Storing wine in optimum conditions will ensure the best drinking experience. This includes the temperature in which it is stored, the level of sunlight/darkness and also the angle at which the bottles are stored.
Best temperature to store wine:
Too much heat or cold is the enemy here – too warm and the maturation process will speed up (anything over 20/22˚C), too cold and the cork will dry out (if that’s the closure type), allowing air inside the bottle which will cause the wine to oxidise and lose its freshness.
For best results, the ideal temperature to store wine is between 10˚C and 15˚C.
If whites and reds are in the same area, look for a temperature between 12˚C and 14˚C. A fridge with separately controlled temperature compartments is best however, enabling you to store white, red and sparkling in their own optimum conditions. (We will soon be conducting some research into the best options for wine refrigerators so look out for this!)
In general though, avoid storing wine in places where the temperature is likely to fluctuate and avoid direct sunlight as this can cause the wine to heat up and age. A bit of humidity is good for wine storage as again it prevents the cork from drying out.
Best position for storing wine:
Bottles should be stored horizontally, as this helps keep the cork moist and is ideal for long-term storage. If you store wines vertically there is a high chance the cork will dry out and allow air to penetrate which will oxidise and spoil the wine.
Serving wine
Once you’ve opened your chosen wine, there are a few simple things you can do to optimise the taste and enjoyment of drinking!!
Do I decant the wine in advance of serving?
It’s always good to decant your wine from the bottle to a decanter before drinking.
Don’t worry you can still decant wine without a decanter - just use a carafe or a jug!
The reason we decant a wine is to allow air to get to the wine ahead of drinking it, so the flavours and aromas can open up. This is especially relevant for a young wine, which will need a bit more time to fully express its character and come to life in your glass so try to decant it for several hours before drinking.
A common question is do you decant white wine?
A misconception is that decanting is just for red wine - it isn’t! Many white wines can be just as complex and full bodied and need air and time to open up and allow all of the lovely aromas and flavours to come through.
Decanting is also a good way of removing any sediment that may have developed in the bottle especially in older wines, which is never really a great drinking experience!
What is the ideal serving wine temperature?
Take care not to over-chill white wines as it can mask the flavours and it’s perfectly fine to chill some lighter reds (eg pinot noir, Beaujolais) for 20/30 minutes ahead of serving. Here is a rough guideline to follow:
Light whites: eg sauvignon, pinot grigio, grüner veltiner - 8-10°C
Fuller-bodied whites: eg riesling, oaked chardonnay, viognier - 10
Medium-bodied reds: eg pinot noir, grenache, valpolicella - 12-15°C
Full-bodied reds: eg syrah/shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, nebbiolo - 15-18°C
Dessert wines - 10-12°C
Sparkling wines - 8-10°C
What about wine and food pairings?
This is a huge topic in itself and can get you easily tied up in knots!
You may look to select a lighter style of wine for drinking on its own, compared to a specific wine if it is to accompany a meal, to pair with specific dishes. At the end of the day, it’s all a matter of taste and it comes down to what you like!
However - here are some basic guidelines for pairing wine and food:
The key thing to bear in mind is that you always need to try to seek a ‘balance’ – balance of flavours and body. You don’t want to overpower a light dish (eg delicate fish in a simple sauce), with a big bold, high alcohol level wine and similarly a light wine would not balance a heavy dish, for example steak in peppercorn sauce.
So try matching full-bodied wines, with relatively high alcohol to full-flavoured dishes; lighter, less alcoholic styles, suit more subtle flavours.
In many cases you will find ideas for pairing food with wine by looking at bottle labels and website wine descriptions. If you purchase your wine from smaller independent wine merchants they will always be ready to advise!
How long does a wine last after opening?
White or rosé wine will last for 2-3 days in the fridge but you must use a cork stopper.
Similarly fizz will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days as long as you have a proper champagne stopper.
In terms of fuller-bodied red wines, store in a cool place, with a stopper and it should be good for a few days.
Bottles don’t tend to stay open very long in our house I have to admit but if you follow the above advice you should still be able to enjoy till the last drop!
Types of wine glasses
If you have invested in a lovely bottle of wine, try to serve it in a glass which will only optimise the taste and enjoyment – as ever it’s all about personal taste but we recommend you try it out for yourself to see if you notice any difference!
It’s not just about the actual taste of the wine though, it's also about enjoying the act of drinking – this is why the best glasses are more delicate and thin, adding to the sense of ‘luxury’.
The reason why there are different types of wine glasses is that there are different types of wine!!
Red wine generally needs to breathe more, so benefits from being served in a larger glass with a rounder bowl and wider opening.
For a white wine, the bowl will be more U-shaped and upright than that of a red wine glass, allowing the aromas to be released. Glasses with a smaller bowl also help the wine to retain a cooler temperature.
Whenever we have a dinner party we always end up having loads of glasses to wash, having served different glasses for sparkling wine (flutes), white, red – and not forgetting the smaller dessert wine glasses – however we feel it is always worth it!
Some other glass wine tips:
Don’t overfill – give the wine plenty of room to breathe in the glass
Do swirl your wine (another reason not to overfill!) as this provides another opportunity for the wine to breathe and let the air open up the flavours and aromas in your nose and on your palate
Do hold your glass by the stem so as not to get too much heat into the wine from warm fingers!
How you wash your wine glasses is really important! Always make sure your glasses are sparkling clean and ensure they are thoroughly rinsed, to avoid detergent flavoured wine (and it will kill any bubbles!)
Learning how to appreciate wine and food at a tasting at Weingut Becker in the Rheingau, Germany
Savour every sip and focus more on ‘quality not quantity’
There are always occasions when that first glass of wine barely touches our lips but in general we would advise to take your time to appreciate and enjoy your wine - taste and savour every sip!
Wine is like a piece of art - much has gone into making it - so honour the winemaker and where it has come from by slowing down and really enjoying it with all of your senses - look at it in your glass, take time to define and enjoy the aromas, slowly taste it on your palate and enjoy the after-taste.
If you can, try to trade up a bit sometimes and buy a wine which is a little more expensive than you would normally select. Then take the time to properly enjoy it. Maybe it’s an age thing but paying a bit more and drinking a bit less is definitely something we would recommend!
Where to find out more information
If you wish to explore these topics in greater detail and learn more, then head over to Jancis Robinson OBE’s excellent and very informative ‘Purple Pages’ website. Jancis is a wine writer and wine critic and one of the most respected and influential people in the wine industry.
Conclusion
We hope these few wine tips help you maximise your wine enjoyment and appreciation.
To recap, think about how to store your wine, how to serve your wine, which types of wine glasses to use and take the tip to savour every sip!
Also see our web page for other wine tips & insights.
