If you’ve had the chance to take a look around our website, you will already know that I’m all about wine coolers and how they work. I’m also passionate about the types of wines that are available to us. On my quest, I have come across many different models of wine cooler and they all have their pluses and negatives (hopefully you will find the information I’ve passed on helpful).
However, the purpose of this section of our site is to give you some additional information on how you should serve your wine. If you’re new to what I always describe as the “nectar of the Gods”, the one thing you need to learn is how best to serve it.
Cooling
As said, there is plenty of information to be found on the best way to keep your wines cool, and I have done my best to make sure you receive only good, honest information about the models we have available.
Just so you have an idea of how both reds and whites react to temperature take a look below:
- Red wines can be served at room temperature but, it’s rare the temperature in a room will remain steady enough to warrant not using a cooler of some sort. If you intend to store reds, you should look out for models that have a range of 60-65 Fahrenheit. Your reds will thank you for this!
- White wines should really be served chilled and many people make the mistake of thinking they will quite happily live in your fridge, which for most people will be at a temperature somewhere around 35 Fahrenheit. However, white wines do much better between 45 and 50F.
- Roses can be treated much the same way as whites. If you have sparkling or ice whites, these should be kept at lower than 45F.
The information above is purely as a guide only. If you stick with this initially, you will notice a difference in the taste, however, as some of the more seasoned collectors reading this will know, it’s a little bit like fine art. What you like doesn’t necessarily mean someone else will. After all, that’s half the fun of wine.
Breathing
All wines no matter what color they are do need the chance to breathe. It’s not enough to just cork the bottle and leave it for a while. The reason for this is the hole at the top of the bottle isn’t large enough to allow the wine to aerate.
The best thing you can do is decanter your wine. They come in many shapes and designs, but that doesn’t really matter for the breathing process, they’re all good.
If the wine is older and contains any sediment, make sure that you leave the sediment in the bottle when you pour it in the decanter. Most wines don’t really have any sediment, but it’s always good to check.
If you’re yet to allow enough in your budget for a decanter, try swirling the wine in your glass before you drink it. This will help circulate some air and allow the flavors to bloom.
Wine Glasses
This is possibly just as important as your wine cooler.
I have learnt the hard way, but I think I now have the measure of it!
Largely, red wines are better served in a bowl shaped glass. They’re not difficult to find and they don’t have to be expensive. However, you should consider that certain red wines will taste better from a slightly different shaped glass.
White wines (believe it or not) can also be fussy about the type of glass you serve them in. For the most part, a tulip shaped glass will do very well and, this is because it helps to preserve the temperature of the wine and its flavor. When you drink from a white wine glass, hold it by the stem so you’re hands don’t increase the temperature of the liquid inside.
One Last Point
You should never over-fill your wine glass.
These days, I find it quite amusing when I’m at dinner and people give the waiter a hard stare because he hasn’t filled their glass to the brim. There is a reason for this, and it goes back to the amount of air and the levels of temperature. So, don’t think badly of your waiter, he just wants you to enjoy your wine at its best.