Wine is a drink that is appreciated all over the world.
As such many people out there aspire to become a wine buff, but they don’t know
where to start.
At the Ideal Wine Company we’ve established a
reputation in the luxury wine trade. We’ve built this reputation by knowing
what makes a good luxury wine. We understand that in order to choose the wine
that’s right for you, there are some basics you need to know. That’s why we
thought we’d share this knowledge with you.
So what do you need to know to become a wine buff? There
are a few basics that you need to get comfortable with first, things you might
have overlooked before, but that are essentials in sourcing out true quality
luxury wines.
Start with the bottle. It may seem redundant, but a
bottle will tell you all you need to know about the wine in question. They’ll
tell you about the quality, vintage, alcohol content and brand of the wine in
question.
Bottles first list the producer, then the variety of
wine, then the region it was produced in and grape variety used, then the
vintage year and finally the alcohol content. The alcohol content is what many
look at, but you should be looking at the vintage year, grape variety and
producer to determine the quality of the wine.
Next you need to know about serving temperatures. Most people know the basics, that white wine
is chilled and that red is served at room temperature However to become a wine
buff you need to know the specifics.
Red wine should be served at room temperature, around
20 degrees Celsius to 25 degrees Celsius. Rose wine has to be served slightly chilled;
the best temperatures for this are between 7 degrees Celsius and 13 degrees
Celsius. White wine should be served chilled at around 5 degrees Celsius.
You also need to know about how to serve wine, which
glass. The rules for this vary depending
on the wine, but a good rule of thumb is to use larger rimmed glasses for red,
as they allow the wine to breathe and slimmer glasses for white. Also always
use a flute for champagne.
You also need to know about tasting. To be a good
taster first hold the glass by the stem and swill gently, this allows the wine
to react with the air and improves the quality. Then lightly sip, swill it
around your mouth letting it fall by the sides of your tongue, then spit.
This is only the beginning; wine is a complex field and
there’s a lot you need to know to truly become a wine buff. However these hard
rules will help you on your way.
