Ideally, wine should be stored in a dark, cool place (10 to 13 degrees centigrade), which is not over dry: some humidity will assist in keeping corks moist. Also, wine bottles must always be stored on their side so that the wine is in contact with the cork which will then remain moist. There should also be no vibration or variations in temperature. If all of these things are observed, your wine will mature gently and evenly. Red wine should be brought into a warmish room some 24 to 36 hours before it is to be served. Don’t stand it near a radiator or fire, as the ideal temperature requirement is about 16 to 18 degrees centigrade. Younger wines, less than five years old, should be opened 1½ to 2 hours before serving and this time should be reduced for older wines: those over ten years need only about 15 minutes before serving. All of the wines in our list will benefit from decanting before serving, even those with little sediment, as simply being allowed to breathe is beneficial. Decanting by sight is, for the inexperienced, somewhat inexact and can be wasteful. We find that a good method is to use an UNBLEACHED coffee filter paper: those sold under the Sainsbury own brand are ideal. Keep a plastic filter paper holder and a funnel especially for this purpose. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should white filter papers be used, as these are bleached and the bleach will taint your wine.
White wine should never be served too cold, as this will impair its flavour. You should seek to serve good white wines at about 8 or 9 degrees centigrade with Champagne just a couple of degrees or so lower. We find that a good way to achieve this is by putting the wine in a domestic refrigerator overnight and taking it out about two hours before serving.
Although it may seem pedantic, good glasses of the correct shape for the various types of wine will enhance enjoyment and, for red wines in particular, use glasses much larger than the servings you intend to pour. Fill them only to about one third full and allow ample space in the glass for the bouquet to linger. A good glass capacity for good Red Bordeaux or Red Burgundy is 450ml.
If you need any further advice, we will be delighted to try to assist.
