How To Drink Red Wine For Beginners
Wine drinking is fun, and can be such a great experience and one that constantly changes. One thing for the new wine hobbist is that sometimes things can get intimidating. Don't worry, allow wine drinking to be fun, and with a few key points, you can start on your journey for discovery and have a great time doing it.
The red wine is called "red" because of the red grapes it is made from. The colors of red wine can be anywhere from red to purple to blue. The grape skins are what give wine its unique color. Although there are no grape skins in your bottle of wine, during the process of wine making they come in contact with the juice and the color is transferred. The wine color also changes with time, so you should take that into consideration as well. Typically, when the wine is young, it has a much more purple hue when looked at in the rim of the glass. When the wine ages, the color turns to a deeper red, and then actually gets lighter.
The other thing about red wine and it's color is the kind of grape used to make that wine. Pinot Noir grapes are much more red than Beaujolais grapes which have a more purple hue.
You can't fully enjoy your bottle of red wine without the proper glass to complement it. Red wine glasses are shorter than white wine glasses, wider and not as tall. They kind of look like a bowl, where as white wine glasses are tall and slim.
The reason why you should choose the appropriate glass for your wine is that if you pour red wine into a white wine glass only a small part of the wine will come in contact with the air. And the key to enjoying the flavor of red wine is to allow it to oxidize. What this means is that you are trying to get the wine to aerate. As it breathes, the character of the wine is allowed to come out. This is also the reason why you would swirl the wine before taking a sip.
While many say that wine should be served at room temperature, it should actually be served at cellar temperature. So when you hear room temperature, think cellar temperature. If you serve a cold red wine it will have a bitter taste, if you serve it hot (more than 65 degrees) the aroma of the alcohol in it will be overwhelming.
The red wine is called "red" because of the red grapes it is made from. The colors of red wine can be anywhere from red to purple to blue. The grape skins are what give wine its unique color. Although there are no grape skins in your bottle of wine, during the process of wine making they come in contact with the juice and the color is transferred. The wine color also changes with time, so you should take that into consideration as well. Typically, when the wine is young, it has a much more purple hue when looked at in the rim of the glass. When the wine ages, the color turns to a deeper red, and then actually gets lighter.
The other thing about red wine and it's color is the kind of grape used to make that wine. Pinot Noir grapes are much more red than Beaujolais grapes which have a more purple hue.
You can't fully enjoy your bottle of red wine without the proper glass to complement it. Red wine glasses are shorter than white wine glasses, wider and not as tall. They kind of look like a bowl, where as white wine glasses are tall and slim.
The reason why you should choose the appropriate glass for your wine is that if you pour red wine into a white wine glass only a small part of the wine will come in contact with the air. And the key to enjoying the flavor of red wine is to allow it to oxidize. What this means is that you are trying to get the wine to aerate. As it breathes, the character of the wine is allowed to come out. This is also the reason why you would swirl the wine before taking a sip.
While many say that wine should be served at room temperature, it should actually be served at cellar temperature. So when you hear room temperature, think cellar temperature. If you serve a cold red wine it will have a bitter taste, if you serve it hot (more than 65 degrees) the aroma of the alcohol in it will be overwhelming.
