Shopthevalley :: Temecula Valley Resource Magazine

Have you ever been to a wine tasting? Most people, when they think about wine tasting, imagine people sipping, swilling and spitting their wine. Believe me there is a lot more to sampling wines than that. At a wine tasting it is important to have the right wine in the right glass.

First off, if the wine is chilled, then you need to hold the glass by its stem and remember not to touch the bowl at all. Wines that are not chilled and which can be served at room temperature will require picking the glass by its bowl and holding it while cupped in the palm of your hand with the stem being held between your two middle fingers.

Beer drinkers or Whiskey drinkers will slug their drink of choice down in any glass that will hold it no matter what the name or shape. Have you ever wondered why the wine glass is so important to wine drinkers?

Beyond the reasons of being able to get oxygen swirled into the wine, or to heat the wine with the palm of your hand, it's because wine glasses have a certain look about them. They hold a certain amount of status, a certain amount of class, and they make any occasion a fanciful one. So if you're going to drink please use wine glasses, and hold them correctly, otherwise it will look like you are drinking juice.

By: J Todd Greeno

Have you ever had a half-bottle of wine you wanted to save for another time, and wondered what would be the best way to hold the wine for several days?
If you are not going to drink the left-over wine, there are a number of choices that will enable you to enjoy the wine on another day:...
- Recork the bottle and keep it in a cool area
- Pour the wine into a smaller container (such as a 375 ml bottle) to reduce the amount of air, AND keep it in a cool area

Selecting and enjoying wine in a restaurant can sometimes feel like a daunting task. But it doesn't have to be. Here are ten tips for enjoying wine when dining out:
1. Don’t be afraid to ask the sommelier or server for advice. Let him know what kind of wine you and your dining companions prefer (ex. “We like light reds that don’t dry out our mouths”; or “We don’t like white wines that are too oaky.”)

2. Look beyond the bottle. Many restaurants now offer other options for wine lovers. Wines served by the glass, as well as in half-bottles, and wine flights (2-3 ounce pours of several wines, served at the same time), are great when you are dining out and everyone wants to eat and drink something different.