Serving Wine

Do I need to decant my wine?

Probably, yes. Most wines will benefit from at least a little time in decanter (even white wines, but not usually sparkling), because the brief exposure to air will help to open up and enhance the aromas of the wine, and also remove some of the sediment from more mature bottles.

The amount of time to decant depends on the style of wine: usually the younger the wine, the longer you’ll want to decant in order to really open up those aromas, so you can give them a few hours in the decanter.

You won’t need to decant mature wines for as long and they can begin to lose some of that wonderful perfume if you do – and make sure that the wine (especially vintage fortifieds such as Port) has been stood upright for at least an hour before decanting in order to remove the sediment more easily. White wines won’t need as long, only up to about half an hour so they don’t lose their temperature and fresh appeal.

Double decanting – pouring the wine into another vessel, and then back into the bottle again – is a good trick if you’ve left it too late for a proper decant.

What temperature should I serve my wine at?

The perfect temperature will really help you get the most in terms of flavour and aroma out of your wine – serving a wine too cold will really numb the aromatic qualities, so leave the wine out at room temperature for half hour if needed (bearing in mind that specific duration will depend on how hot your room is!) Below is a simple guide:

Champagne and Sparkling – around 8-9°C (or from 6°C for a zingy aperitif)

Lighter white wines – around 10°C

Aromatic or richer whites – around 11-15°C

Medium bodied reds – around 16°C

Rich or full bodied reds – around 16-19°C

Dessert wines – around 7°C

Glassware

You can buy glassware specific to almost any style of wine, designed to maximise the specific characteristics of each style. However, you don’t actually need a huge variety of glassware to do the job well – below is a simple guide on what you’ll actually need. You can buy separate red and white glasses if you like (white wine glasses tend to have a narrower bowl to preserve the cooler temperature and slimmer taper to the rim to direct aromatics upwards), or feel free to use the same if you’ve given them a proper clean with plain hot water.

Champagne – the flute has fallen out of favour in recent years; the long, narrow shape can ‘trap’ aromas and inhibit oxygen circulation which can dull some of those lovely bright, rich flavours a good sparkling offers. A standard white wine glass or tulip glass (a little narrower at the rim, with a wider bowl at the bottom) will be fine to help you get the most from your fizz.

Aromatic reds and  white wines – the key is to give the wine room to breathe and the delicate aromas to unfurl. A ‘Burgundy’ glass has a wider bowl and tapered rim which is perfect for this.

Structured red wines and fresher whites - For younger or more structured wines (think Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah) the larger size allows a little more airflow to help soften the wine and prioritise fruity and herbal aromas