Mistakes are a part of life. The important thing is learning from those mistakes and not making them twice.
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Obviously, when it comes to wine most wine drinkers have all made mistakes. First they paired the wrong wine with dinner, or perhaps served a bottle cold when it should have been room temperature. It is bound to happen. From experts to amateurs, all wine drinkers make mistakes when it comes to enjoying wine; these are tips to avoid making them twice.
To help get the best wine experience from any bottle, we have come up with 10 common mistakes people make about wine and how to correct them.
The Mistakes Wine Drinkers Make:
Holding the wine glass by the bowl.
It is a bad wine etiquette to hold a wine glass by the bowl. Doing this transfers body heat from the hand directly to the wine and in the process, it warms the wine as the drinker holds the glass. Therefore, to keep optimum temperature, hold the glass by the stem and not the bowl. The wine glass was made with a stem for this reason. Provided that much to do with wine is so meticulous, there are perfect temperatures which bring out the best in the wine.
Flutes are designed to hold bubbles which explains the narrow bowl and neck of the glass, however, they are not optimal for wine drinking.
Swirling too much
Among many wine drinkers and amateurs, swirling can be considered a ridiculous notion. However, swirling is an important technique as it aerates the wine, thereby releasing the aromas and hints that give wine the best flavor. Nevertheless, It is also important to know too much swirling can cause oxidation in a wine making it taste bitter.
Learning the basics of wine tasting gives a great amount of information on how to best enjoy your wine!
Filling wine glasses to the brim
Many wine drinkers frequently make this mistake. Wine should not be poured like a beer, to the brim by the pint. When filling a wine glass to the brim, it makes the glass heavy, and difficult to enjoy the aromas and delicacies of the wine itself. Stick to pouring the wine to fill the glass at about three-quarters full, at most. This allows room to give the wine a good swirl, allowing proper aeration.
Serving wine at the wrong temperature
The temperature at which a wine is served drastically affects the taste drastically. Wine drinkers often do not take into account that there are ideal temperatures at which different types of wines should be served. Wine served at the wrong temperature negatively affects the delicacy of taste and aroma. Every wine has its own ideal temperature based on grape, method used to create, as well as flavor profiles. Don’t be afraid to do some research to best enjoy the wine.
Judging a wine by sniffing the cork
Many wine drinkers and ‘experts’ think smelling the cork would tell them how the wine tastes, but this wrong as it would only tell what the cork tastes like. Rather than sniff the cork, sniff the wine. Pour a small amount in a glass, then place the glass directly below the nose and inhale deeply while swirling. This will give the best preliminary burst of flavor without tasting. Many wine shops will give samples, or will provide samples of similar wines to help make a decision! Visit and feel free to ask any questions.
Pairing the wrong wine with a meal
Pairing the right wine with a meal is important, wine can make or break a good meal. Just believe someone is a wine drinker or lover, does not mean that they understand the art of pairing food and wine together. The wrong wine pairing should be avoided as it will ruin both the wine, ,and the meal. Additionally, choosing a bottle of wine for a meal should be done with care, a full bodied red will drown out a subtle seafood pasta, versus a slightly acidic white which will heighten the seafood flavor and cut across fat. The right food pairing with wine will make the wine drinking more enjoyable and complete the meal.
Improper wine storage
Improper wine storage will always have a negative effect on wine. For starters, most serious wine collectors store their wine in rooms that are temperature controlled and protected from light. Light is bad and will spoil the wine. If planning to age the wine or keep it in bulk, here are the minimum requirements to should fulfill;
- Keep in mind that the ideal temperature to store wine is 55 – 58 degrees.
- Bottles should be kept away from any light, sunlight especially.
- The bottles should be stored at a humidity level between 55 – 75 percent.
Ultimately, failure to reach these storage requirements can lead to numbing, oxidation and distortion of the wine but if properly stored them, it can bring out the best in the vintage.
Drinking wine in Champagne Flutes
Flutes are designed to hold bubbles which explains the narrow bowl and neck of the glass, however, they are not optimal for wine drinking. Champagne flute don’t allow proper room for the wine to be swirled efficiently, or enough room for the aroma to be enjoyed, or aeration to be completed.
Not decanting wine.
Many wine lovers do not decant their wine. This is because they understand the advantages of decanting and aerating wine. Decanting wine is the process of transferring wine from a bottle to a decanter. Decanting is usually done to aged wine. Overtime, small particles in wine come together to form sediments which can give the wine an unpleasant taste. Decanting wine helps to reduce the sediments in wine which helps to soften its effervescence, release the aromas and flavors and at the same time helps to aerate the wine.
Drinking the same wine all the time.
The biggest mistake of all, not varying the wines that one drinks. In fact, wine drinkers do this all the time. While it is always great to enjoy a favorite bottle when in need; the more wines one tries, the better. Furthermore, the more wines enjoyed, the more favorites can be add to that favorites list. Many wines are made from the same grapes, and have only subtle differences. The possibilities are endless with wine.