3 - Storage and Service of Wine Flashcards
Storage of wine- general points (4)
- Cool and constant temperature, 10-15C
- On its side if cork
- Away from strong light
- Away from vibrations
Service temp - Medium/full-bodied, Oakes white wines
Lightly chilled, 10-13C
Service temp - White Burgundy, Fumé Blanc
Lightly chilled, 10-13C
Service temp - Light/medium-bodied white wines
Chilled, 7-10C
Service temp - Muscadet, Pinot Grigio, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Fino Sherry
Chilled, 7-10C
Service temp - Sweet wines
Well chilled, 6-8C
Service temp - Sauternes, Eiswein
Well chilled, 6-8C
Service temp - Sparkling wines
Well chilled, 6-10C
Service temp - Champagne, Cava, Asti
Well chilled, 6-10C
Service temp - Light-bodied red wines
Lightly chilled, 13C
Service temp - Beaujolais, Valpolicella
Lightly chilled, 13C
Service temp - Medium/full-bodied red wines
Room temperature, 15-18C
Service temp - Red Bordeaux, Rioja, Australian Shiraz, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Barolo, Amarone della Valpolicella, Vintage Port
Room temperature, 15-18C
One of the worst places for long term storage - why?
Kitchen - wide fluctuations in temperature
Extended periods of refrigeration
Cause corks to harden and loose their elasticity —> seal fails and air can attack the wine
Natural sunshine and artificial light will…
Artificial light can…
heat the wine and it will become stale and old before its time
cause unpleasant flavours to develop in some wines
Too cold red wine will taste…
thin and harsh
Red wines in excess of 18C will appear to…
lose freshness and flavours become muddled
Ice buckets
- filled how?
- why?
3/4 full with equal quantities of ice and water so that the bottle is fully surrounded by iced water
The water transfer the heat from the bottle to melt the ice (air acts as an insulator)
Glassware - red wines
-Size and why
Larger-sized glasses
Allows air to come into contact with a large wine surface and develop the aromas and flavours
Glassware - white and rosé wines
-Size and why
Medium-sized glasses
Fresh, fruit characteristics are gathered and directed towards the top of the glass
Glassware - sparkling wines
-what and why
Flute glasses
Enhances the effect of the bubbles (and thus the wine’s aroma), allowing them to travel through a larger volume of the wine before bursting at the top of the glass
Glassware - fortified wines
-size and why
-large enough to…
Small glasses
Because of high alcohol content
…allow swirling and nosing
Why polish glasses
With what and why
Clean and free of finger marks and dust
Linen - does not leave small pieces of fluff)
Opening a bottle of still wine (5)
- Remove the top of the capsule, by cutting around it below the lip of the bottle
- Wipe the neck of the bottle with a clean cloth
- Draw the cork as gently and cleanly as possibly
- Give the neck of the bottle a final clean inside and out
- Pour a sample into a glass to check the wine’s condition
Decanting wine - which wines?
- wines with heavy deposit
- some young wines benefit from aeration
Decanting wine (3)
- Remove the bottle horizontally from its rack and place in a decanting basket if available. Alternatively hold the bottle carefully, making sure the deposit is not agitated
- Very gentle remove the top of the capsule and clean the shoulder and neck of the bottle. Very gently remove the cork
- Remove the bottle from the basket, being careful not to disturb the deposit. Holding the bottle in front of a light, pour the wine carefully into the decanter until the deposit can be seen near the neck. At this point stop pouring
Opening a bottle of sparkling wine (6)
- Remove the foil and loosen the wire cage
- The cork must be held securely in place from the moment the wire cage is loosened
- Tilt the bottle at an angle of about 30, gripping the cork, and use the other hand to grip the base of the bottle
- Turn the bottle, not the cork
- Hold the cork steady, resisting its tendency to fly out, and ease it slowly out of the bottle
- The gas pressure should be released with a quiet ’phut’, not an explosion and flying cork
75cL gives
6 x 125 mL glasses
4 x 175 mL glasses
3 x 250 mL glasses
Methods used to preserve wine (3)
- Replace closure and store in a fridge
- Vacuum systems
- Blanket systems
What happens to a wine after opening
Lose aromatic intensity
Oxidise and develop vinegar aromas
Vacuum systems
Oxygen is removed from the bottle
(unsuitable for sparkling - lose their bubbles)
Blanket systems
Blanketing the wine with a gas heavier than oxygen to form a protective layer between the wine and air
