How should I hold the glass ?
Traditionally, always from the base or the stem so that the warmth of your hand doesn't affect the temperature of the wine.
What kind of glasses should I serve different wines in ?
Generally, bigger glasses for red and tulips (standard wine glasses) for whites. Champagnes can be served in flutes (tall, long, thin wine glasses) so that the bubbles don't escape or in tulips.
How should you store a bottle of wine ?
Try and store in a cool, dark place (like the bottom of a cupboard) wrapped in newspaper to keep the temperature constant, without moving them around too much. If they have corks, lie them down horizontally.
Must I finish the whole bottle once it is opened ?
The latest trend world wide, initially started by brave wine makes in New Zealand and Australia is screw caps on wine bottles. Studies have indicated that there is much less spoilage with screw caps than traditional corks. Once you open a screw capped wine bottle, you can empty left over wine into a well washed small glass bottle with a tight screw cap leaving no gap for any air. The wine generally lasts a week or so like this in a refrigerator (fridge). With a traditional cork bottle, you will have to consume the wine very quickly after opening.
What does 'Room Temperature' mean ?
Red wine should be served cool (18deg C ) not in our topical temperature, which is around 30deg C. To coax the red wine down to this temperature, simply put it in the lower part of the refrigerator for an hour; or if you have left it there overnight, take the bottle out and stand it for an hour before serving. White wine and sparkling should be served cold but not chilled to the bone, a few degrees away from freezing, and kept chilled in an ice bucket. If you have to chill champagne or white wine really quickly (i.e, you have forgotten to do it earlier - happens to the best of us), prepare a large bucket with tons of ice and cold water and dunk it in there for 20 minutes,
How do you know when a wine has gone off ?
The most common problem is a "corked wine". This results in a musty, mildew smell. It often also occurs with poorly made corks. oxidization is another common fault.
Note : Remember, wine is alcohol. it needs to be sipped and savoured, not gulped down!
Source : TOI
