Dining with Wine

A few guidelines in storing and serving will go a long way
to enhance your enjoyment of wine
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The idea is to recognize which of your needs are most important when selecting a wine, its proper serving temperature, and glassware to accommodate the occasion, whether casual or formal.

Storing  Wine
There are some basic rules to follow to help you avoid spoilage generally associated with poor storage.
Store the wine either on its side or upside down if you want to keep the wine for any period of time. This will keep the cork wet and protect against finished wine's enemy ---- OXYGEN! Any prolonged exposure will lead to oxidation, which produces a brownish color and Sherry-like flavors.
Another of wine's greatest enemies is extreme heat.
Temperatures greater than 70 degrees F will age a wine quickly, and  can  "cook" a wine until the fruit character becomes blunted, resulting in flat aromas and flavors. 

Equally important is the rate at which temperature
changes.   Rapid temperature fluctuations may cause pressure changes within a bottle, forcing the cork upwards and allowing leaks while permitting air to enter the bottle.   Wine ages best in a steady, somewhat cool temperature of around 55 degrees.

Therefore, it is important to have a cool space with constant temperate for long-term storage.  Think of wine as a mushroom ---- it likes to be kept in damp, dark, cool conditions!
Keep wine out of the light.   Wine is destroyed by bright light. Bottles should be kept from direct sunlight,
and preferably in darkness.

Humidity is more controversial but it's nothing to worry about unless you're keeping wines for the long-term. Wine requires a certain amount of humidity to prevent evaporation. Some experts advocate a constant humidity of 70 percent to prevent corks from drying out, while others maintain that if a bottle is on its side, the cork is constantly in contact with moisture inside the bottle and external humidity is ineffectual.

Serving Wines

Most wines may simply be opened and served.
Sparkling wines, dessert wines and light-bodied whites need to be chilled to preserve their freshness and fruitiness (34 to 50 degrees F.).
Fuller-bodied whites such as Chardonnay may be served slightly warmer.
Light reds (most Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc) benefit from being served slightly cooler than full-bodied reds such as Australian Cabernet and Shiraz, and California Cabernets.

Before Dinner

During Dinner
As you begin your evening, you will probably start off with light appetizers. The best and most universal wine to begin with is sparkling. The best sparkling style to choose is brut or extra dry.  Serve your sparkler extremely chilled, and open the bottle just prior to serving. Use a bottle stopper after serving, and keep it cold.
 When serving the main meal, it is time for a change in wine. A nice touch is to offer your friends and family two choices of wine with dinner.  Remember that the types of sauces that you use in your preparation may change the choice of wine. The basic rule is the heavier the sauce, the more full-bodied the wine should be.
Sparkling wine is very festive and helps to create the right mood. It is lighter in body than most wines and is the best lead into the next food. If children are a part of the gathering, they can enjoy your festive mood if you make available a non-alcoholic, sparkling cider. The best glassware to use for sparkling wine is a flute glass. 
 The order in which wines are served can be important:
  • A white wine before a red wine
  • A dry white wine before a sweet white wine
  • A light wine before a full-bodied wine
  • A simple wine before a complex wine
  • A young wine before an old wine

If serving with food, the weight, intensity and serving order of the dishes will dictate the sequence of the wines.

Decant a Wine?

In certain instances, it will be necessary to decant a wine. Fine reds with bottle age produce a natural sediment as color pigments and tannins bond together and fall out of solution. Decanting is simply the process of separating the clear wine from the sediment. Remove the capsule and cork, and with a light under the neck of the bottle (a candle or flashlight works well), pour the wine into a clean vessel in a single, steady motion until you can see the sediment reach the neck of the bottle.
The wine is now ready to serve!

Wine Glasses
Wine appreciation involves all the senses, and the choice of glassware will influence the sight, aroma, and taste of a wine..
Glass design is divided into three elements:
  • Clarity and thinness are important for visual perception.
  • The size and shape of the bowl determine the intensity and complexity of the "bouquet".
  • The shape of the rim determines where the wine initially lands on the tongue (affecting taste).

With the exception of sparkling wines, it's best not to fill a wine glass more than half full. This will leave enough air space to release the aromas.
Most importantly, find a balance of wine-friendliness, aesthetic appeal and price, and settle on the glass that seems best for you.
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