Get More From Your Wine With These Top Tips!

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UNPACKING - Wine doesn't like sudden temperature change. Though we avoid shipping wine during periods of extreme temperatures, nobody can avoid the unexpected spike or drop. If our wine was delivered to you during a period of heat or cold, bring it to room temperature gradually.

SERVING TEMPERATURES - Americans tend to drink white wines too cold and reds too warm. Try the "20-20 rule" - remove your white wines from the refrigerator for 20 minutes before opening, and chill a room-temperature red for 20 minutes before opening (ten minutes more on a hot day). That way, both wines will be near their perfect serving temperature when opened:

• Sparkling Wines: 40 - 45 degrees
• White wines: 50 -55 degrees
• Pink wines: 45 - 50 degrees
• Red wines: 60 - 65 degrees
• Port: 65 - 70 degrees

SHOULD I DECANT THIS WINE?- There are only two reasons to pour your wine from its bottle into a decanter or other larger vessel before serving.

1. Because it's Young- such wines need some air to allow their various layers to evolve. Most such wines can be jovially sloshed into the decanter, as the objective here is to introduce air, not to baby the wine. Let such wines sit in any sort of clean glass vessel with a wide mouth for at least an hour.
2. Because its Old! - Old red wines have natural sediment that forms on the side of the bottle. Set the bottle upright about a day before serving to encourage the sediment to fall to the bottom of the bottle. Just before serving, gently move and open the bottle so as not to disturb the sediment. Then pour as slowly as you can, positioning the bottle between your eyes and a bare light bulb or candle, so you can better see when the sediment begins to flow into the decanter - this is the time to stop pouring. The small amount of precious wine left in the bottle is preferable to an unpleasant mouthful of sediment in your last sip!

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WINE AT THE COCKTAIL HOUR – Our wines are popular alternatives to mixed drinks and spirits during the cocktail hour. Wines that work best tend to be big wines with lots of personality that might over-power your carefully-crafted food if served at the table. For a successful evening, go big early and save the nuanced, subtle wines for your meal. The big "Cocktail Hour" wines are high in alcohol, so if you're preparing a nice meal to follow happy hour, go light on the cocktail wine so your guests can still appreciate your culinary skills!

WINE AT THE TABLE - Wine and food are natural partners, but certain foods go better with certain wines. Click Here to see my archive of wine-friendly recipes. And these basic tips will help showcase your hosting talents.

• Light, crisp white wines call for similar themes in food. Such wines pair well with foods seasoned with citrus (especially chicken or fish) as well as goat cheese and the (often difficult) vinaigrette on vegetables and salads. With these wines, crisp acidity is the bridge to compatible foods. These wines include un-oaked Chardonnay, dry Rieslings, Sauvignon Blancs, most whites of Northern Italy and many others.
• Full-Bodied White Wines – Such as oaked Chardonnay and Rhône Whites (Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne) and many Iberian whites (Spain/Portugal). These wines beg for richer dishes with some natural sweetness. Effective bridge ingredients include crab and lobster, sauces featuring butter or cream, toasted nuts, garden herbs and spices.

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• Pinot Noir and Sangiovese are also amazingly food friendly. Bridges include, mushrooms, tuna or salmon (especially grilled) cumin, cinnamon, coriander, vegetables, and anything slow-roasted or braised. Avoid spicy foods, rich cheeses, or fishy fish!
• Syrah, Zinfandel and Rhône Blends – Look to the wine’s dark fruit as the bridge ingredient to your food. Grilled or smoked red meats often work well, or stews and other brooding dishes. Great with BBQ!
• Domestic Cabernet and Bordeaux Blends – Often great at the cocktail hour, the oak, tannin and copious alcohol in these wines can prove difficult to pair with food though red meats are always reliable pairings, as are stews, braised meats and dishes with deep, rich flavors. During happy hour, serve with roasted nuts and mild/moderate-flavored, fatty cheeses that won't fight the low-acidity/high-alcohol but will soften the tannin.
• Port – Bleu cheese, walnuts and dried fruits - the classic British dessert (often with cigars as well, though I leave that option to you). Also, any dark chocolate is a modern favorite with port!

P.S. Expand your wine knowledge while building your collection. Reward and develop your wine curiosity! Scratch that itch!! For more information, Check out my wine club options!