DON'T MISS A THING

Whether you plan on opening that special bottle of Malbec for New Year’s dinner or are looking to impress your loved one with a treat on Valentine’s Day, wine is a great choice to celebrate. But there’s much etiquette attached to the mighty grape – from choosing the right variant to opening a bottle correctly to storing wine properly. Even setting foot in a wine shop can make some people feel intimidated. Here are some basic wine tips for beginners that’ll quickly make you look like a wine connoisseur.

Screw Cap or Cork

If you’ve been wondering whether screw caps or cork is better, you’re not alone. The truth is that both have their advantages. Traditionally, wine bottles were sealed using cork, but a growing number of bottles are now closed using screw caps. The advantages of screw caps are that bottles are easier to store once opened and the wine does not become corked. Cork can also crumble and break when removed which can ruin the experience. However, a wine connoisseur often still prefers cork and it tends to look nicer too.

The Right Wine Glass

What type of wine glass you use depends on the wine. Red wine is traditionally served in large glasses. Wine experts recommend opening a bottle of red before serving it and preferably pouring it into a separate vessel for the aroma to develop as it comes in contact with the air. White and rosé wines tend to be served in smaller wine glasses. Champagne and sparkling wines are usually handed out in flutes.

Champagne Holidays: A Guide to Everything There Is To Know

Pairing Wine & Chocolate

Wine, chocolate, and champagne are some of our favorite guilty pleasures. And pairing them makes for an extra special treat. But the taste of chocolate, particularly dark variants, can affect the taste of wine so caution is advised. Milk chocolate is best paired with dry and full-bodied red wines or sparkling wines while dark chocolate tastes great when paired with sweeter and slightly more acidic reds. White chocolate combines well with white and rosé wines. But don’t just take our word for it. It’s a matter of personal taste at the end of the day.

Removing Wine Stains

When you’re planning the perfect night, your nerves can get the better of you and spills can happen easily. Thus this is one of those wine tips you must know! For a new wine connoisseur, it can be easy to overlook, but much like choosing the right wine to pair with the right foods, it’s important to know how to remove wine spills from clothing or soft furnishings. The most important thing to remember is to treat wine stains immediately. Use a paper towel to blot a spill right away and then add soda water. Keep blotting the stain. You can use baking soda or a special wine remover to treat the stain fully.

Storing Wine

When storing wine, be sure that the temperature is right. Warm temperatures should be avoided as that can degrade the quality and flavors of your wine. Around 50° F is recommended by most wine experts. You can store wine in the fridge for a few months, but if you intend to keep it longer than that, the lack of moisture can dry out the cork. Another tip for wine storage is to keep it in dark lighting conditions and in places where it isn’t being picked up and shaken too much.

Remember these wine tips and dive in! You will be a connoisseur in no time! Cheers!