The Basics You Should Know About Wine

I’m sure you all have had a glass of wine at some point, but the question is whether you enjoyed it.  Unlike beer, Wine is something that takes directions to drink and enjoy properly.  Even we had to take a crash course on how to accurately enjoy this fine beverage.  Luckily because we love you, we have broken down the steps to include the basics of how to indulge in a glass of your favorite wine.

The first thing to learn is how to hold a wine glass.  Keep in mind that wine is a temperature-sensitive beverage when it comes to taste.  So holding the glass that is actually holding the wine is a definite no-no.  You want to grip the base just at the bottom of the stem firmly.  Like so.

Next, before you hold  your glass, you have to actually pour some wine into the glass.  How do you even open the bottle?  Well, first you need a corkscrew.  (The fancy kind with a blade on them are cool, but not really necessary.)

To open a bottle of wine:

• Hold the bottle of wine stationary.
• Cut across the front, back, and top of the foil. Keep your fingers clear of the blade and the foil.
• Set the screw just off center and insert, rotating straight into the cork.
• Continue to screw into the cork until only one curl remains.
• Lever on the first step, then the second, finally easing the cork out with your hand.

Ok, now that you have mastered opening the bottle and holding the glass, now you’re ready to learn how to pour.  Yep, that’s right, it takes a certain skill.  When pouring wine, you want to make sure that you only pour 5-6 oz in the glass, as this is the ideal serving size.  To save yourself from that blasted dripping at the end, be sure to turn the bottle away from you as you stop pouring to redirect the wine flow back into the bottle.  Voila!  You’re a pro!

Lastly, it is time to drink!  Wine is designed to be sipped, not gulped or swallowed.  To drink wine, there are a few steps that must be followed.

• Swirl the wine GENTLY to bring out its flavors and aromas.
• Sniff the wine to bring in the aromas that accompany the taste.  This is not a giant smelling, just a gentle sniff.
• Slowly bring the wine glass up to your mouth with your nose in the glass as well to take in the smell and taste simultaneously.
• Before swallowing, allow the wine to swish around your tongue a little.  DO NOT gurgle like you would for mouthwash, simply do a gentle swish to take in the flavors.
• Repeat.

Well, there you have it!  The basics of wine!  Order some from us and practice, then order some more and have a party!  Let us leave you with this awesome wine joke.  Cheers!