Written by Clare Burder, Winemaker at Eminence Wines
Glassware
While I’m not a snobby person, I do really, really hate old clunky wine glasses! If you’re going to spend money on wine, spend a little on decent glasses too — stemmed or stemless, whatever you like using. If you only buy one glass, a general-purpose white or red wine glass will do most of the work. We use Plumm ‘Everyday Red/White‘ in the winery and at home, which are super practical and affordable. If you want something a bit fancier look at the universal ‘Degustazion‘ glasses from Riedel and if you’re feeling very very fancy and cashed up then Zalto glasses are often considered the absolute pinnacle. If you’re a big sparkling fan than my favorite flute is the Riedel ‘Extreme rosé champagne‘ which is sort of a hybrid between a flute and a tulip shaped glass. Just remember that long-stemmed, tulip-shaped glasses feel the most balanced if you’re happy to hand-wash; shorter stems survive the dishwasher better.
What to do with open wine…
After two or three days, most wine starts to taste flat, but within this window a few tricks help: the best no-purchases-necessary method is to transfer the wine to a smaller bottle to reduce the oxygen-exposed surface area. Keep a clean 200ml sparkling water bottle on hand and you’re sorted. Vacuum pumps are popular but not super effective, and they can dull aromatics. If you’re happy to buy a solution, products that contain insert argon gas are very effective and really worthwhile if you have wine open regularly. Argon is heavier than oxygen so it forms a blanket over the exposed area and prevents oxidation. If you’re in Australia ‘WineSave‘ is the go-to. And, for sparkling wine, a proper stopper slows bubble loss – we like the ones that clamp over the bottle neck ridge, like this one from Le Creuset (a spoon in the neck is a myth — sorry!!). And if you’re needing to update your cork screw, Le Creuset make these – which are a little pricey but very nice to use.
And of course, if you’re feeling fancy then go buy yourself a Coravin – very handy!
Serving temperature
Temperature genuinely changes how a wine tastes. Cooler temperatures dull aromatics and sweetness in whites but increase freshness; warmer temperatures make reds feel rounder and less astringent, while chilling a red increases the perception of bitterness and tannin.
- Unoaked / light whites: 6–10°C
- Chardonnay and complex whites: 12–16°C
- Sparkling and Champagne: 6–10°C
- Rosé: 8–12°C
- Young, lighter reds: 15°C
- Older, fuller-bodied reds: 18°C