5 Tips for Serving Wine [WINE 101]

The way we serve our wine is directly proportionate to how much we enjoy it. Serving wine at the right temperature is not just for wine geeks, it really tastes better if you do it right. So read these few tips and hopefully your next glass of wine will taste so much better.

Real Time Wine & WineStyle present: 5 Tips for Serving Wine.

1. Temperature
Wine constantly changes. As its temperature and environment (bright vs. dark, humidity and stability) change, so does a wine’s chemistry. If you want to get the most enjoyment from your wine, it is therefore important to get the temperature right as this will really improve the aroma and taste of the wine. Fortunately, this is not difficult.

Find out about the best place to find a new wine refrigerator. Drink your wine at the perfect temperature for the best taste.

Type of wine / Serving temperature
Sparkling wine: 4-8˚C (ice bucket temperature)
Rosé: 8-10˚C (just out of the fridge)
White wine: 8-10˚C (just out of the fridge)
Wooded white wine: 10-14˚C (after 20 minutes outside the fridge)
Red wine: 16-18˚C (colder than SA room temperature; give it 20 minutes outside the fridge)
Port: 18-20˚C (room temperature)

2. Taste
Even if you aren’t a vinophile, it is important to taste a wine before serving it. If it tastes “off” to you, it will taste “off” to your guests.

3. Decant
While decanting often is considered the domain of the truly pretentious, it actually does do a lot to improve the way a wine tastes. Except for old wine, you don’t even need a special decanter. Any container will do.

If you’re serving a young or an old red wine, or port, decanting almost always is a must. Port and old red wine will usually have built up sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Slowly pouring it into a decanter will ensure that you serve the clear wine only.

Decanting wine also exposes it to oxygen, which, in turn, helps release the wine’s aroma. (Just uncorking a bottle does not let in enough air and oxygen to have the desired effect.) It is for this reason that red wine glasses are bigger than white wine glasses – the wide mouth lets in more oxygen.

4. The right glasses
After the correct temperature, the right size and shape glass will do most to improve your wine. This is less important when sipping an easy-drinking white next to the braai. But if your wine is a good red that you’ve been nurturing for years, the glass will make a huge difference. You’ll get the best results with a “fat” glass with a wide mouth. White wine, on the other hand, can happily be served in glasses that are narrower and have smaller mouths.

5. Fill height
Wine glasses should never be more than two thirds full. In fact, half full is even better – any fuller and it will be impossible to swirl the wine and release its bouquet. If you’re hosting a proper wine tasting, filling the glasses to a third is ample. The rest will be a waste.

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The Wine 101 series is a collaboration between Real Time Wine and WineStyle Magazine. Content originally produced by WineStyle. Subscribe to their great newsletter and wine deals here. And whatever wine you're drinking, it's better to share it with your friends using Real Time Wine, the wine app for everyone who enjoys wine, not just those who understand it!