Serving wine in the glass appropriate for its’ type is not just to impress your guests, but serves a purpose. For example, smaller glasses are used for Port and Sherry because they are so rich and are consumed in smaller qualities.

Pouring wine correctly can add class to the occasion and is a matter of courtesy. Decanting wine is pouring wine into a decorative container for the purpose of removing sediment. By taking a few precautions and following some guidelines, not only will the presentation be better, but also your wine can actually taste better.

Wine Glasses

The shape of a wine glass can impact the taste of the wine, and for this reason different types of wine are served in different glasses. Hold any style of glass is by the stem; this keeps fingerprints off the bowl and keeps your hand from heating the wine.

What kind of glasses should you buy?
Not only do glasses come in different shapes, but they range in size as well. Too large a bowl can make a glass unsteady. For a good all-purpose wine glass, opt for a minimum capacity of 10 oz. The glass should be transparent to enable you to examine the wine’s colour and body, and curve in at the top to retain the bouquet. All-purpose white wine glasses will suffice for serving red wine, but don’t serve a white wine in a red wine glass.

There are three main types of wine glasses:

• Standard white wine glass (tulip shaped)
• Red wine (larger bowl, more rounded)
• Flutes for sparkling wine (tall and thin)

There are also larger glasses developed for serious wine tasters that allow the nose to enter the glass so the drinker can smell the aroma. Small goblet style glasses are good for dessert wines since they are drunk in small portions.

Pouring Wine

Pouring wine correctly can add a touch of class to the occasion. There are certain guidelines to follow:

• You should serve others first, and then serve yourself.
• Don’t fill a glass more than 1/2 full (5 – 6 oz.). You want to be able to swirl the wine and smell the aroma, and check out the “legs” (body) on the side of the glass. By not overfilling you also ensure that you have enough wine for each glass. You can always go back and add more wine.
• Pour the wine towards the centre of the glass, sparkling wine against the side to preserve bubbles.
• To control drips, if you don’t have a pourer, twist the bottle slightly while tilting it upright.
• Sediment naturally collects in the bottom of the bottle in older red wines. So, when the wine is almost gone, pour the remainder at an angle to keep most of the sediment in the bottle or a decanter.

Decanting

It is best to decant older wines and ports that contain sediment. The sediment may add bitterness to the wine, but it’s also removed for aesthetic reasons. Decanting improves the flavour of many red wines by providing the wine with a chance to “breathe”, but the wine should be consumed soon after because it will begin to diminish. In addition, young wines often benefit from the aeration and rest (about an hour) that decanting provides.

Until the wine is ready to be decanted, let it rest upright so the sediment will sink to the bottom. Then slowly pour the wine into the decanter, keeping the bottle at an angle. A wine funnel and filter can be used to drain sediment, but this is best done out sight of your guests.

The classic decanting method involves holding a candle (or other small light) behind the bottleneck so you can see and stop any travelling sediment from entering the glass.

Serving Temperature

Generally, white and sparkling wines are best served chilled, with lighter, fruitier whites very cool, and fuller, more flavourful whites, such as a Chardonnay, less cool. An hour in the refrigerator is usually enough. Over chilling should be avoided, because it stuns a wine’s aromas and flavours.

Red Wines however are generally served at cool room temperature, with lighter, fruitier reds, such as Beaujolais or Pinot Noir served somewhat cooler than fuller-bodied varieties, such as Cabernet and Zinfandel.

As cool wine warms, vapours rise off the wine. Because your sense of smell can have a large effect on your sense of taste, it is important to allow the wine vapours to interact with your nose.

Here are some general guidelines on wine serving temperatures -

• Sparkling Wine 6-10°C (42-54°F)
• Rose Wine 9-12°C (48-54°F)
• White Wine 9-14°C (48-58°F)
• Red Wine 13-20°C (57-68°F) (Cooler temp. for younger wines, warmer for older)
• Sherry Lighter 9-14°C (48-58°F)
• Sherry Darker 13-20°C (57-68°F) (Cooler temp. for younger wines, warmer for older)
• Fortified Wine 13-20°C (57-68°F) (Cooler temp. for younger wines, warmer for older)