Getty Images
These days there’s a refreshing “anything goes” mentality when it comes to wine, with people drinking rosé all winter long, pairing steak with Champagne and eschewing stemware for tumblers. As liberating and refreshing this mentality can be, however, there are still some no-no’s that can chip away at your enjoyment.
Global wine pros share six ways that you might be ruining your wine drinking experience—and easy ways to avoid them.
You’re Drinking Wine at the Wrong Temperature
A wine’s aromas, flavors and even the perception of alcohol can vary depending on the serving temperature—and too-warm reds can be just as unenjoyable as overchilled whites.
“If you’re serving wines either too warm or cold, you’re inadvertently masking a lot of flavors,” says Allie Ballin, co-owner of The Wildset Hotel and Ruse Restaurant in St. Michaels, Maryland.
The lighter the body of a red wine, the lower the recommended temperature.
“The crisper texture and fruit of light reds like Pinot Noir and Etna Rosso are more pronounced with a slight chill,” says Aaron Thompson, co-owner/operator of Brother Wolf and Osteria Stella in Knoxville, Tennessee.
To hit that sweet spot of 50 to 52 degrees Fahrenheit, he says, stick it in the fridge for a half hour or dunk it in a quick ice bath—or use a wine chiller. In a restaurant, touch the bottle to see if it could use a little temperature tweak.
You’re Serving it in the Wrong Glassware
Studies have shown that thin-rimmed glasses allow wine to flow over the tongue more smoothly, letting the drinker pick up more nuances. (They also look and feel more aesthetically pleasing.)
“The aromatic expression of wine is practically nonexistent in a thick glass as it doesn’t support the wine’s notes, and you can’t observe the wine’s viscosity or density,” says Sandra Fernandez, sommelier for Hoteles Xcaret in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, who suggests thin, polished crystal stemware.
Matthew Fisk, consultant and sommelier for WineLair in Washington, D.C., says that for delicate wines, size doesn’t matter as much as shape. “Putting them into a tiny glass will only mute an already quiet wine; use a small, wider one so it can unfold a bit more.”
You’re Overfilling Glasses
The massive size of many modern stemware means that you could technically pour an entire bottle into one or two glasses—but that doesn’t mean you should be making wine-filled fishbowls.
“Try to keep the amount of liquid less than a third of the volume of the glass to allow for much better aeration,” suggests Richard Hanauer, partner and wine director of RPM Restaurants, headquartered in Chicago.
It also allows the wine that’s left in the bottle or decanter to maintain the correct temperature, rather than be warmed by your hands. Aim for four-ounce pours, which allow you “to appreciate the aromatics and control the volume of each taste,” Hanauer adds.
You’re Storing it Improperly
Keeping wine upright on your counter, closet or refrigerator can shrink and dry out the cork, introducing air and causing oxidation and spoilage.
“Storing wine bottles on their side keeps the cork moist and in contact with the wine, ensures an airtight seal and helps preserve the wine,” notes Marin Brennan, winemaker at Bedell Cellars in Cutchogue, New York.
Equally damaging are temperature swings and insufficient humidity, says Maria Amezola de la Mora, owner of Bodegas Amezola de la Mora, in Rioja, Spain.
“Wine subjected to fluctuations in temperature suffers from accelerated chemical reactions, leading to loss of flavor, premature aging and undesirable qualities,” Amezola de la Mora says. If you can’t afford a cellar or wine refrigerator, store wine in a cool, dark place away from direct light and vibrations.
You’re Unsure of When to Decant
Mature wines always need to be decanted, right? Not necessarily, says Chris Ray, advanced sommelier at Lutèce in Washington, D.C..
“Older wines may still need a swift kick, but there are plenty of times when the wines may be fully evolved, or even a bit too brittle to expose to that much oxygen so quickly,” Ray says. “You also may miss out on the slow evolution of a wine at the table as it goes through several phases.”
On the flip side, youthful bottles may need a dose of oxygen to open up—especially since many people don’t want to wait years to uncork a stellar bottle they’ve procured.
“Using a decanter helps aerate the wine, allowing it to breathe and open up,” says Véronique Bonnie of Château Malartic-Lagravière in Bordeaux. For younger, oak-aged whites, she says decanting for thirty minutes “helps enhance the balance between structure, fruit and freshness, experiencing all the facets of their complexity and length.”
You’re Not Considering Food Pairings
Archaic strict food and wine pairing rules have long been abolished, and some of the most unexpected match-ups often turn out to be surprisingly amazing. Still, Hanauer believes there are some wines and dishes that just don’t play nicely with one another.
“Serving high-alcohol wine with spicy dishes, or a seafood tower, or a high tannin wine without any fat or protein to integrate into, can hinder the wine’s ability to be great,” he says.
Often, it’s about symmetry between flavor components. “When folks say, ‘that wine really did not taste good’, it could be that their seasonings, sugar, acid and/or salt were out of balance,” says Philip Hansell, director of hospitality at Robert Mondavi Winery and Arch & Tower in Napa Valley. He recommends tasting various combinations of salt and slices of apple and lemon with a red blend to learn the effects of each and elevate your pairings.