Baldwin Wine and Spirits Store
As one of the world’s oldest drinks, wine is complex and rich and can be quite temperamental prior to consumption. Serving wine correctly calls for the proper glassware, the ideal temperature, breathing time, and a good “pour”. At our local Baldwin Wine and Spirits Store, we know the best way to serve wine is a combination of all these attributes into one ideal experience for the drinker, while representing the wine to its peak advantage.
For the longer term, wine is best stored outside of the refrigerator and should be chilled right before they are served. For both red and white wines, chilling is best. The more modern philosophy is to chill white and serve red at room temperature, but that’s actually not optimal. White and rose wines do well at around 55 degrees after being refrigerated for one or two hours, while red wines actually do best at around 60 degrees. The wine bottle should be opened carefully, always pulling the cork out away from your face, especially when serving sparkling wines or champagnes. At our Baldwin Wine and Spirits 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 carefully 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 deviate 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. Yes, there are specialty wine glasses for particular varieties but they are not necessary. These specialty glasses actually direct the wine to specific areas of the taste buds but really won’t make much of a difference to a casual wine drinker. At Rockville Centre Wine and Spirits, 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.