WINE STORAGE AND SERVICE Flashcards
Service temperature for
Medium/full-bodied, oaked white wine
Lightly chilled
10-13 degrees
Service temperature for
Light/medium-bodied white wines
Chilled
7-10 degrees
Service temperature for
Sweet wines
Well-chilled
6-8 degrees
Service temperature for
Sparkling wines
Well-chilled
6-10 degrees
Service temperature for
Light bodied red wines
Lightly chilled
13 degrees
Service temperature for
Medium/full-bodied bodied red wines
Room temperature
15-18 degrees
Storage of wine, key points
Cool and constant temperature (10-15 degrees), as extremes of cold and heat can cause damage
Cork-sealed wines should be on their side to ensure the cork stays in contact with the wine and doesn’t dry out and let in air
Away from strong light as sun/lights will heat the wine and it will become stale and old
Away from vibrations, to keep it undisturbed
Describe the process of opening a bottle of still wine
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 possible using a corkscrew
Clean the neck of the bottle again, inside and out
Pour a sample into a glass to check the wine’s condition
Describe the process of decanting a bottle of still wine
Remove the bottle from the rack and place in a decanting basket/hold the bottle carefully so as to not agitated the deposit
Gently remove the top of the capsule and clean the neck and shoulder of the bottle
Gently remove the cork
Remove the bottle from the basket.
Holding the bottle in front of a light, pour the wine carefully into the decanter until the deposit can be seen near the neck
Stop pouring
Describe the process of opening a bottle of sparkling wine
Remove the foil and loosen the wire cage
The cork must be held securely in place from the moment the cage is loosened
Tilt the bottle at an angle of 30 degrees, 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 out of the bottle
The gas pressure should be released with a quiet ‘phut’
Blanket system
Wine is ‘blanketed’ with a gas heavier than oxygen and so forms a protective layer between the wine and the air
Define TCA
Taint that give damp cardboard aromas
main cause = tainted cork
Define reduction
‘Stinky’ character (rotten eggs, boiled cabbage, blacked drains)
Define Sulfur dioxide
very high levels = recently extinguished matches
lower levels = mask the fruitness of the wine
Define Oxidation
unwanted oxygen contact
deeper colour and more brown
toffee, honey, caramel - lacks freshness
