5 Ways to Enjoy Your Wine the Most

Get the most from your wine. Follow these five tips.

Drink your wine at the proper temperature.

While there is a broad range of recommended temperatures, with certain wines falling along the spectrum, the general rule is: white wines are best served chilled, and red wines are best served slightly below room temperature. Degree-wise, this means most white wines should be served anywhere between 45 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit; most red wines served between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

An easy guideline relates to complexity: if a wine is more complex, with rich aromas and flavors, serve it on the warmer side of the spectrum. Cooling a wine mutes its aromas, while warming a wine will show its wide range of flavors. On the other hand, a simple, refreshing wine (whether white or red) is best served on the cooler side of the spectrum.

A simple way to serve wines at the proper temperature, as based on color, is to follow the 20-minute rule. Keep your white wine in the refrigerator for a few hours, and take the bottle out 20 minutes before serving. Keep your red wine at room temperature, and stick it in the fridge 20 minutes before you open the bottle.

Drink your wine at its proper age.

It’s a simple statement, but all the more true for its implications. Wines are living, breathing organisms, and each has its own time line. When you drink a bottle during its recommended drinking life, you are more likely to enjoy your wine.

Interestingly, not all wines improve with age. In fact, the vast majority of wines produced in the world are meant for easy drinking – which means consumption within a year or so of bottling. If you wait too long to sip on that bottle of Pinot Grigio left over from that party you threw a few month ago, you might miss out on the fresh fruitiness of the simple wine.

Conversely, if you open a bottle of an intensely full-bodied red wine, like a stately Barolo or select Cabernet Sauvignon from California, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the wine’s tannins. Some wines need age to mellow, to smooth, and to reach potential complexity.

Be wary of wine flaws.

When it comes to flaws in wine, you must let your nose be your guide. The goal is not to over think what you’re drinking (nothing seems less appetizing than pondering over a glass of wine while your food gets cold), but certainly pay attention to your senses. If something smells off, your wine may certainly be flawed. There are a number of wine flaws: TCA (aka cork taint), too much sulfur dioxide, and heat damage rank among the most common.

This does not mean an enjoyable wine experience is completely lost. If you are at a restaurant, politely ask your server or sommelier to bring you another bottle (or to bring back the wine list). If you are home and drinking a wine you’ve purchased from your local wine shop, make a note of what you think is wrong. The next time you’re in the shop, mention the bottle and the flaw – your wine shop will be happy to know if they’ve sold you a troublesome bottle. They’ll want to do what they can to prevent any potential upset customers in the future. (And perhaps reward you for your diligence.)

Drink your wine with food.

Wine, while wonderful in all its unique complexities and capabilities, is at its best next to your plate on the dinner table. Wine heightens the eating experience, and food does the same with wine. Don’t fret too much about wine and food pairings – goodness knows, an imperfect combination of wine and food won’t cause a horrible explosion in your mouth – but for some helpful guidance, you could read more here.

If you’re opening a less-than-stellar bottle (whatever that might mean to you), drink your wine with a selection of cheeses. There’s an old saying in the wine industry: “Buy on bread, sell on cheese.” Plain bread keeps your palate fresh, so you can better analyze a wine. Cheese, on the other hand, serves as a delicious shield to your tongue. The fats and proteins in cheese coat your taste buds, smoothing the sometimes rough edges of wine.

Drink your wine with people you love.

This recommendation is the simplest, but the most important, of all ways to enjoy your wine the most. So much affects our perception of wine, none the least the company you keep. Sharing wine amongst friends and family is almost always a sure bet to enjoying whatever wine you’re drinking, whether a first-growth Bordeaux or a simple red table wine, the most.

Tags: wine and food pairing, wine temperatures, wine tips