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Constant Temperature
Wine can be impacted by temperature fluctuation, so if you can find a place that stays around 12-14ºC
all year round, you are on the right track.
Light
too much light can affect your wine, so it helps if you can find a dark spot such as inside a cupboard, under the stairs or even in the cardboard box it comes in. Just don't forget to keep the temperature constant. Also it's beneficial if it's an area with minimal vibration.
Humidity
If you've got wines sealed with a cork, think about humidity. Maintaining a level of about 50% helps prevent the corks drying out and causing oxidation.
Serve
Choose the right glass
We all know the distinctive shape of the Champagne flute, but other styles also benefit from being served in the right shaped glass tool. Red wine glasses have a large bowl to allow the aromas and flavours to be expressed. The smaller bowl and narrower opening of the white wine glasses limits the amount of air that comes into contact with the wine, reducing oxidation.
Be cool
Wine tastes better slightly chilled, but not too cold. Optimum temperatures are 11-20C for red wines, 6-12 for white wines and 6-10 for Sparkling wines.
let it breathe
Young red wines really benefit from decanting for a couple of hours a it can help relears priary fruits and aid texture. Be careful with older winesm though, as more than about an hour in the deanter can lead to loss of fruit characters.
Obce it's opened
Generally, Sparkling wine lasts 24-26 hours in the fridge with a sparkling wine stopper, light-bpdied whites last 2 days in the fridge, full-bodies whites last 2-3 days in the dride., red wine will survive 2-3 days i a cool dark place. For Fortifie wines, drink Vintage-style ports iwthin a week and tawyn, Muscat and Topaque within a month. Of couse, these timings are only a guids - you're the ultimate judge!
Appreciate
Look
Hold your glass of wine against a white background to see the details in its colour. White wines can range from very pale to having green or dark golden tones. Red wines go fro purple to ruby, brick red and cherry red.
Sniff Swirl Sniff
Take small, quick siffs or a long, deep one and ssee if you can pick up the lightest aromatics. Next give the wine a swirl to release further aromatics, take another sniff and see if you can pick up the aromas on your tasting notes or make a note of any different ones you detect.
Sip
Take a sip and draw the wine across all parts of your mouth - think about what you can taste, how intense those flavours are and how the wine feels in your mouth gain, compare wht you experience with what any tasting notes you have on the wine.
Pairing Equations
Flavour formula
While we all know the old rule about remeat with re dwine, fish with white wine, it's actually more important to consider the mainflavour in the dish which may not be the meat. Follow this and the helpful tips below to ensure that your next dinenr party leaves your guests impressed with your wine matching prowess.
Same and same
The most common wine and food matching principle brings together complementary flavours - light-bodied wine and light dish, full-bodied wine and heavy dish and so on. Take it further by pairing texture and fabours that are alike - earthy wine and earthy food, citrussy wine and fruity dish, soft wine and soft-textured dish etc.
Acid and acid
If you food is high in acid - thknk tomatoes or a squeeze of lemon - you'll need a ine that's high in acid too. For white wines, Riesling is the most obvious choise, while red-lovers whould reach for the Italian styles, as thesa are mad to balance the tomatoes and cut through theolive oil in Italian food.
Heat and sweet
When it comes to spicy dishes, red wines that are high in alcohol and tannins are a no-no as the alcohol intensifies the heat. Think instead of sweeter white wines such as off-dry examples of Gewurztraminer or Reisling.
Opposite andiooisute'
Soetimes, pairig opposite characters in wine and food can work Try a fresh crisp Chardonnay with a creamy pasta dish for example. Or consider a clean dry Riesling with a spicy chilli-filled Asian dish. Or if you're serving a dish with very simple flavours, a complex wine can enhance the experience.
Sweet and sweeter
The general rule is if your dish is swet, the wine should be sweeter. Think milk and dark chocolate desserts with the fortified family of Tawnies and Muscats, while white chocolate pairs with Prosecco and lemon flavours are perfect with Botrytis Riesling.
Tannins and fat
This pairing is all about balance. Fat serves to e en out the tannin intensituy, resulting in a smooterh, softer red wine.
Opposite and OppositeRisling.
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