Wine Care and Serving

The following "Sips and Tips" are practical guidelines for wine care and serving that have been proven to enhance the overall wine experience. Enjoy!

Wine Storage

Wine Storage Temperature

The number one enemy of your fine wine is excessive temperature - both extreme hot and cold. Wines should never be exposed to temperatures significantly above room temperature or allowed to freeze. For wine that will be enjoyed in the next few months after purchase it may be stored at room temperature. For those wines not intended immediate consumption, should kept in a temperature and climate controlled environment.  Ideal cellar temperature is 55 degrees Fahrenheit and at 60 -80% relative humidity.

Wine Storage – Light and Shaking

Wines should not be exposed to direct sunlight/excessive florescent lighting - or be shaken or jostled unnecessarily. Wines are best kept when laid down and not moved – and in the dark!

Wine Storage Racks

Ideally wines will be stored on their sides, allowing the wine to remain in contact with the cork. For those without available storage rack space the bottles can be stacked, or simply store the full cases with the corks pointed down.

Proper storage allows the wine to continue to mature at a controlled and predictable rate. Wines that do not have this constant may age more rapidly or become damaged due to corkage and/or excessive temperatures. For those looking at purchasing wines for third party sources - including from private cellars or other collectors - identifying that the wine has been properly cellared is vital to help ensure you receive a quality product.

Serving Wine

Wine Serving Temperatures

Different wines have different ideal serving temperatures that bring out their unique qualities.
In general terms - whites should be served chilled - and reds should be served just slightly below room temperature. The correct range of serving temperatures runs from 45 degrees Fahrenheit (for champagne) to 65 degrees (for red blends). Identifying that a typical refrigerator is set at 35 degrees - and a standard room is set at 70 - some care needs to be taken to get different varietals to their unique, ideal serving temperature. Here are simple "rules of thumb" and some practical advice for serving wine at - or at least closer - to the ideal serving temperature for most wines:

• Store whites in the refrigerator - and bring them out 15 minutes before serving.
• Serve reds below room temperature - put them in the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving

The below is a graph depicting “Ideal Wine Serving Temperatures" for the most common varietals:

Decanting

Decanting your red wines is a must - particularly those selections that are big, full bodied and complex. Decanting wine allows it to "micro oxygenate" the wine, which in turn:

• Releases the full aromas and bouquet,
• allows the wine to "balance out" and "integrate" - meaning the tannins, fruit, alcohol and acidity can be enjoyed both collectively and specifically.

Decanters work on a straight forward principal - when poured across a surface or into a properly designed decanter it increases the relative surface area of the wine exposed to the air - and as a result allow wine to more readily oxygenate. There is ongoing debate to the correct time for decanting - rule of thumb - minimum of 15 -20 minutes - the bigger and bolder the wine - the more time you allow the wine to decant will typically enhance the experience.

There are both traditional, full size decanters as well as a number of newly released "pour through" decanters - allowing practical, simplified decanting - and a lot less cleaning   For most "easy" (and practical) simply equates to more likely to be done! One of our favorite pour through decanters is the "Vinturi" decanter - its' small, unique, easy to use and effective - and is always an item of great interest and attention. We have found it to be a perfect gift for wine lovers - and a great way to say thanks for a special event.

Click here to learn more about/purchase the Vinturi pour through wine decanter.

Selecting Wine Glasses

Different wine selections have unique qualities - and as such there are specific glass styles that have been designed to accentuate these attributes.

White Wine Glasses

One of the most recognizable wine glass shapes is the champagne "flute" - designed to encourage small, continuous bubble formation - and to focus both aroma and effervescence. In contrast, delicate, fruity, and crisp whites are typically served in medium height glass with a slightly narrowed mouth while full bodied aromatic whites such as chardonnay require a slightly larger bowl for swirling and enjoying the bouquet these selections offer.

Red Wine Glasses

Red wine glasses will typically incorporate a larger, wider bowl and mouth, along with a medium stem and appropriately sized base. This design is intended to allow the wine to viewed, swirled and to allow a maximum amount of surface area exposure for the wine. This design also allows the nose to more fully engage in the tasting process - a must for both the big bold reds and the more delicate, eloquent varietals such as Pinot Noir.

"Breathable" wine glasses

This is a recent phenomenon in which the wine glass has a patented coating that supports the wine being oxygenated - while in the glass. While the debate remains - the concept of having your big red decanting more effectively - while in the glass - is a great one - and always a topic of interest and discussion. These are wildly popular - and are taking the wine scene by storm! We have found that the Eisch "Superior" breathable glasses to be of excellent quality - and are simply a great wine glass to hold, enjoy and appreciate fine wines.

All quality wine glasses will be A) constructed with high quality glass that is clear, colorless and of sufficient caliper (thickness) B) single piece construction - meaning the bowl, stem and base are single piece D) balanced/rest easily in your hand and E) dishwasher safe. For those with granite counter tops and/or those with too many broken glasses - there are quality glasses you will be proud to serve your best wines in - that will hold up much better than glasses of lesser quality or poor design.

Click here to learn more about/order high quality, Eisch Breathable Superior Red Wine Glassware or Eisch Breathable Superior White/Chardonnay Glassware.

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