We drink wine for lots of different reasons. To self-medicate after life's roller coaster takes a dip. To celebrate when you reach a special peak on the journey. To relax after work. And especially (for me) to enhance a dining experience. A great food and wine match elevates both. However, to make the most out of your hard-earned dollars, take time to engage your senses as well as your mind.
It's simple, really, but unless you make it a habit, other things will intervene. My holiday gift to enhance your enjoyment — or perhaps my plea — are eight easy steps to practice every time you open a bottle.
I recently visited a friend out of town, and, since we both love wine, the offer was made to open a special bottle. It turns out that a generous cousin had sent one of Napa Valley's great wines as thank you gift. So for our modest Salisbury steak dinner at home, we shared a 1999 Ridge Monte Bello.
This spectacular Bordeaux-style blend has long been a Napa stalwart. Drinking it made me wish I could share the experience with you all. Failing that, I thought I'd at least guide you to maximum pleasure for whatever's in your glass. Remember to always taste wine first, then move on to how food alters the pairing for good or ill.
Pay attention to stemware
Glasses make a difference. The shape and size of the bowl affect your ability to swirl and oxygenate the wine. Note the shape, plus the beauty of a thin rim and a delicate stem. Rotate the foot of restaurant glasses to check for the white etched mark of top-quality crystal such as Riedel, Schott Zwiesel and Spiegelau. At home, invest in the best glasses you can afford.
Make sure the temperature is right and decant/aerate reds
Be sure to drink red wines cooler than room temperature (chill them for 30 minutes), and drink your whites a bit warmer than the fridge's chill so their aromas aren't suppressed — with the exception of Champagne. Every red also gains from being decanted or poured through an aerator; it's not necessary for whites.
Appreciate the wine's color and clarity
Tilt the glass away from your face and hold it over a white tablecloth or napkin, noting the wine's color. Pinot noir will be light and garnet; shiraz will be an inky purple; and older wines will take on a warmer orange edge.
Learn to swirl with abandon and check out the legs
With the foot of your glass on the table, swirl the wine so it rises up on the side of the glass. Watch the tears (or legs) that form and drip down. They'll give you a hint as to the mouthfeel.
Revel in aromas and work at identifying what you smell
Your olfactory senses are exponentially more sensitive than your taste buds. As the wine evaporates from the side of the glass, it releases flavor messages. Revel in these smells. Do it twice and think about specific aromas each time.
Be ready for fruit on the tip of your tongue
You'll often hear ripe New World wines described as "fruit forward." That's generally because the lush fruit is their outstanding characteristic.
Concentrate as the wine develops mid-palate
Draw in some oxygen through the side of your mouth. Great wine will almost explode as it enters and develops secondary or tertiary flavors across your tongue. Everyday wines will display only a single profile. Does the taste match the aroma? How does food change your impressions?
Swallow and evaluate the finish
Great wines linger while simple wines die. A classic, like the Ridge I shared, has a finish that almost refuses to die, and the great pleasure is to savor each wonderful sip for minutes. For most of the wines we drink, there's a single impression as you swallow and the taste ends. It may or may not match the flavors on your palate. Lesser wines may show a slight bitter finish.
If you get into the habit of following these steps, the rest of your wine-drinking life will be immeasurably elevated. You'll wring every ounce of pleasure from every sip you take. The fun part is that practice makes perfect.
This article appears in Dec 29, 2016 – Jan 5, 2017.