Wine Store Nassau County
As one of the world’s oldest drinks, wine is rich and multifaceted, and can be somewhat temperamental before drinking. Serving wine properly calls for the proper glassware, the ideal temperature, breathing time, and a good “pour.” At our Nassau County wine store, Rockville Centre Wine & Spirits, we know the best way to serve wine is a combination of all these things, creating an ideal experience for the drinker, while also representing the wine to its peak advantage.
Wine is best stored outside of the refrigerator for longer periods of time, and should be chilled right before being served. Despite popular belief, both red and white wines are best chilled. We know that the more modern philosophy is to chill white wine and serve red at room temperature, but that is not actually ideal. When it comes to white and rose wines, 55 degrees is best, after being refrigerated for one or two hours. With red wines, 60 degrees is actually the best temperature. Corks can be tricky so be sure to open the wine carefully, always pulling the cork out away from your face. This is especially important when serving sparkling wines or champagnes. At our Nassau County wine store, our well educated staff will share that older red wines should breathe for several hours before serving, which gets rid of any built-up unpleasant aromas from inside the bottle. Most other red wines can simply breathe in the glass after being poured.
For the best flavor, wines should be served in a sensibly planned order. Lighter wines should be served first, whites are best served before reds because of their finer flavors, and dry wines should come before sweet in order to keep a more balanced palate. It’s fine to stray from the plan if serving wines with dinner, in order to match the courses. Of course champagne and sparkling wines should be served in champagne flutes and wine should be served in a glass with a wide bowl that tapers to a narrower top. There are specialty wine glasses for specific varieties but they’re not necessary. The specialty glasses actually direct the wine to specific areas of your taste buds but really won’t make much of a difference to the casual wine drinker. At our local Nassau County wine store, we know to pour wine slowly and fill the glass only halfway or “to the fat of the glass”. Dripping can be kept to a minimum if a slight twist of the bottle is added at the end of the pour – then enjoy.