It’s all well and good to invest in a nice bottle of wine to impress your loved ones, but the pièce de résistance is how you present it.
According to one top sommelier, the way you pour your wine can enrich its flavor and add a touch of class to the overall experience.
In addition, the style of the glass you serve your white or red in can also affect your appreciation, as certain types are better suited to certain shapes.
The holidays are the perfect time to master the skill of pouring wine – and drinking it (in moderation) might just get you through it!
Here, Lukasz Kolodziejczyk, head of fine wine at Cult Wines, shares his top tips for serving your best bottle of vino.
According to one top sommelier, the way you pour your wine can enrich its taste and add a touch of class to the overall experience. Stock image
START DECANTING
The decantation should ideally be done before you think about pouring a glass.
Decanting has two functions. First, to prevent naturally occurring sediment from reaching your glass, and second, to help aerate and ‘open’ the wine before drinking it.
The process also serves an aesthetic purpose, of course, as an elegant crystal decanter makes an excellent centerpiece of the table.
There are many different shapes and styles of carafes available, but sometimes we need to remember the main reason why you are decanting a bottle of wine.
Wine needs to breathe, some more than others, but ideally we would like to give as much surface area as possible for the carafe to do its job.
Wider carafes like the Riedel Decanter Ultra, left, are good for red wines and full-bodied oak white wines, while a narrower one like the Zalto Carafe 75ml, right, is best for white wines that don’t need as much space to display the characteristics awakening
The wider the base of the carafe, the better – especially for red wines and fuller oak white wines. The larger surface area you provide will improve aeration and bring out the best in your wine, the flavors and aromas will develop further as you decant.
Younger, more tannic wines generally take longer to open – some may benefit from decanting for several hours before drinking. Older, more mature wines usually take a shorter time to reach their full potential.
A narrower carafe is better suited for white wines that do not require as much space to awaken the characteristics when removed 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, paired with the right wine, will make all the difference to your taste experience.
There are dozens of glass styles to choose from, and for the seasoned wine drinker, that can add up to a need for plenty of closet space.
Fortunately, there are many attractive ‘universal’ glass options on the market, as well as for specific varieties.
Bordeaux / Merlot / Cabernet
Red wines such as a merlot, bordeaux or cabernet sauvignon benefit from a tall wine glass with a large bowl that tapers slightly towards the opening
The glasses for these wines are usually the tallest you can find, with a large bowl that tapers slightly towards the opening.
This really allows you to get your nose in the glass for a good sniff, and to allow the ethanol to evaporate easily, which makes the wine taste smoother and brings out fruit flavors.
Syrah / Shiraz / Malbec / Sangiovese
Red wines such as Syrah, Shiraz, Malbec and Sangiovese are best served in a smaller glass with a smaller opening to make the wine softer
These wines often have more tannic, spicier flavors, so the accompanying glass has a slightly smaller bowl with a smaller opening.
This will help soften the wine as it enters your palette more slowly. A greater degree of tapering, meanwhile, helps to retain the aromas so that you can fully enjoy the flavors of the wine.
Burgundy / Pinot Noir
A juicy red Bourgogne or Pinot Noir is best suited for a glass with a wide bowl to allow more oxygen to come into contact with the wine
Glasses for these wines are usually the widest and shortest styles.
A wide bowl allows a greater amount of oxygen to come into contact with the wine, while the smaller opening and high degree of taper help collect the wine’s bold aromas and direct the intense flavors to the right side of your tongue .
Sauvignon Blanc / Riesling
Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling can be served in the same glass style and shape – usually with a medium to long stem and a narrow bowl with slightly tapering
White wine glasses are generally smaller in height and scale than red wine glasses. Because the aromas are much lighter, the wine comes closer to your nose.
Despite their different characteristics, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling can be served in the same glass style and shape – usually with a medium to long stem and a narrow bowl that tapers slightly.
For Sauvignon Blanc, this helps to minimize the oxygen content in the glass, making it easier to detect the wine’s aromas.
For Riesling, this, meanwhile, helps concentrate the aromas in the top half of the bowl.
Chardonnay
Glasses with a large bowl that allows for a large surface are ideal for full-bodied oak-aged white wines such as Chardonnay
Glasses designed for Chardonnay are almost the opposite of those designed for Sauvignon Blanc.
These glasses have a large bowl, much like those in a glass for Bourgogne or Pinot Noir, although they are generally even smaller.
The large bowl provides a large surface, ideal for full white wines made from oak.
LEARN THE ETIQUETTE
In general, it doesn’t really matter who is served first or how, but if you want to do things ‘by the book’, etiquette dictates that women are served first and that glasses should always be filled from the guest’s right to become.
Winemakers are also extremely proud of their creations, and a bottle’s label is a representation of that pride.
Don’t knock the entire foil capsule off the top of the bottle – instead, cut it neatly right under the rim of the bottle so the wine doesn’t spill over the foil and onto the label.
POUR THE CORRECT AMOUNT
Now is the time to pour the wine! Open the bottle neatly and quietly (if not decanting) and, leaving the glass on the table, hold the bottle against the bottom (never by the neck) and carefully pour the wine into the glass.
Where exactly you stay in the glass doesn’t matter much, as long as you avoid splashing.
Champagne poured with the glass tilted, like beer, retains more gas – meaning fewer bubbles foam at the top of the glass. Stock image
Be especially careful if it is a sparkling wine – pour a small amount into the flute, let the bubbles settle and drain until the glass is three-quarters full.
For red and white wines, the usual size is about 125ml for a smaller portion or 175ml for an average portion.
This is a bit tricky to do on sight, so it’s usually best to fill to the widest part of the glass, or at least a few inches from the rim.
This gives the wine the best opportunity to breathe.
AVOID THE DREADED DRIBBLE
Nobody likes a sloppy pourer, and even if you literally follow the advice above, your efforts can easily be undone by a wandering dribble at the end.
When you are done pouring, just before pulling it away, turn it a quarter turn with your wrist, then tilt it upright.
You can also keep a crunchy white cloth handy to wipe the opening of the bottle afterward, just in case.
For more information, visit https://www.wineinvestment.com/