Wine Facts / FAQs - How to Serve Wine

Wines produced from organically grown grapes allow us to experience their true quality and taste, just as nature intended. Following some basic serving, tasting and storing techniques will allow our wine selections the best opportunity to enhance those special food and mood events of your life.

Let's make the most of every sip!

.Serving - The decision to open a bottle of wine can, of
course, be spontaneous. That's part of the excitement!
The following basic considerations will help enhance the pleasure of every glass.

.Rest - A bottle of wine that is rushed to the table straight from the delivery box or shopping bag can never be at its best. Wines, especially older ones, suffer from being moved, and regain their balance and character only after a period of rest (a few days), preferably in a cool, dark place.

.Temperature - Even the simplest bottle of wine tastes better at the right temperature. Allow time for bottles to chill - or warm up - before serving. In general, white and sparkling wines should be served chilled to around 48°F to 54°F. Red wines are usually best between 58°F & 65°F. Useful tip: An ice/water bucket is the quickest way to chill wine. Cubes of ice surrounded by water will rapidly chill a bottle in less than 15 minutes, while a refrigerator takes more than an hour to do the job. Today, there are also "sleeves" that can be kept in your freezer, and then slipped over a bottle to do the chilling.

.Let wine "breathe" - Whenever possible we strongly recommend opening the bottle of wine at least one hour before serving. Uncorking a bottle and exposing it to oxygen for a period of time before pouring gives the wine a chance to aerate, enhancing subtle flavors and aromas, and making an enormous difference in the character of the wine. Pouring the wine in a decanter or in a large glass jar and putting it back in the bottle will considerably speed up the process.

Selecting the "right" Stemware - Rule #1 is cleanliness; always use a clean glass! Using one that is dirty or tainted will, without fail, ruin any wine tasting experience. That being said, wine tastes better, more like what it is supposed to taste like, when drunk from the appropriate stemware. This observation, seemingly esoteric, has been proven over and over in carefully-conducted comparative taste tests.

In General: Thick glass will distort the clarity of the wine, and colored glass will alter the look as well. The preference here is to use stemware that is thin and clear, the ideal being thin clear crystal. The bowl should be of a size to allow for a half-full glass to be swished without spilling.

For White Wine: Use an all-purpose white wine glass with a tulip-shaped bowl and a tall, thin stem. Small to medium glasses work quite well for the whites.

For Red Wine: Most red wines show best in a larger glass with a round or tulip-shaped bowl and tall, thin stem. Medium to large glasses work quite well for the reds.

For Sparkling Wines: These are usually served in tulip-shaped stemware. Flutes are ideal for serving Champagnes and Sparkling Wines.

For Dessert Wine: The general rule of thumb for dessert wines is to use basically small glasses, some with unique shapes which have a tendency to generate conversation and enhance the moment.

It is really not necessary to spend a lot of money to ensure that you have all the varieties of stemware on hand to meet every possible situation. Typically an all-purpose red wine glass will allow you to enjoy any occasion without compromising the effect.