The fun of wine tasting - try, try again

The grist for this week’s column was provided by Teddy, a longtime reader. He asked about ordering wines by the glass in restaurants, realizing the answers probably vary: What is one entitled to expect regarding how long a bottle has been opened? Does the restaurant open new bottles daily? What is the desired protocol? My hope is the bottle was opened that day and kept at the right temperature. Is that reasonable to expect? Is it rude or unreasonable to ask? How long will Vermouth keep? No, it is not rude, and yes, there are many variables. 

If you trust the restaurant’s food, most likely you can trust the wine they are pouring. There are various systems using inert gas that allow wine to keep very well for extended periods. Regarding Vermouth, if closed it will keep a very long time. Open pourers, however, allow the alcohol and esters (chemicals that deliver aromas) to dissipate. Young red wine will actually improve for a few days after opening. Decanting young reds allows oxygen to impact the wine. Aging is mostly influenced by slow oxidation (a bit simplistic but generally true). The older wine is, the less time it will keep after opening. Many people decant old wine to rid it of sediment. This is actually a poor practice, since the aromas (flavors) are more fragile and dissipate quickly. When enjoying old vintage wine, it is best to allow the wine to stand upright for a while to allow the sediment to settle, carefully remove the cork, then gently pour, to avoid disturbing the sediment layer, then savor it quickly. I employ a filter, after ensuring everyone is assembled, before sampling old red wine. Normally I try to have a group of eight and pour 3 ounces. Some claim filtering affects the quality of fragile old wine. I believe it is worth the time taken to work through it. 

Regarding white wines: they are usually driven by the aromas and acidity, and the cooler the wine, the longer it will keep. It is the alcohol that delivers most of the aromas. When cool, most will have a higher awareness of acidity, due to the alcohol not evaporating as quickly, therefore delivering less aroma. The level does not change, but the other components are diminished. If you actually store wine at 55 degrees (cooler storage delays aging), it is best to allow whites to rise to 65 degrees, in my opinion. This is open to dispute and is discussed at length by “pros.” For your edification, take a well-made, high-quality white from the fridge, pour several ounces, take a large sip and savor. Allow the balance of the wine to stand 20 minutes, then sample again; then repeat after 20 more minutes. I think you will be well informed by this adventure. 

Most wine is stored and consumed too cold. A few wines are made to drink very cold, sparkling wine especially. I think most of the folks who “don’t like champagne” are reminiscing on their experiences drinking the obligatory champagne toast at a large function. Unfortunately, in addition to the wine often being of lower quality (price is not the criterion but quality), it is poured too early in the back room, or if at the table, it stands through the “speechifying.” Generally, the glass is a coupe. These are three awful practices. Champagne needs to be very cold, 40-45 degrees F, and it needs to be bubbly to show best. Coupes allow it to warm quickly and lose bubbles, which drive aromas. The result is a flat, no-aroma, warm drink that appears acidic. If you are doing a large function (wedding season) change the lineup a bit. Speechify, then pour the bubbly and drink it up. Nearly all the “flavors” you detect are actually aromas. Scientifically, our mouths only taste sweet, acid, salt, astringent, umami, and bitter. Unlike global warming, there is no dispute on this fact. I prefer using the word sense here, and reserve taste for the sensation we get when sense combines with aromas via the oral/nasal connection at the back of the palate. I hope this brief note satisfies most of your questions. If not, feel free to remail me.