Guidelines On Serving Wine-Which Wines Should Go First?
- By Holly Peters
- Published 12/14/2011
- Wine and Spirits
- Unrated
What makes wine more interesting is that each bottle has a unique flavor. Even wines that are of the same brand can vary in taste depending on a variety of factors. Since the human senses are easily affected by the interplay of chemicals in wine, there should a proper guideline to follow regarding the right order of serving different types of wine. This guideline ensures that as a person drinks a variety of types of wine, he will be able to appreciate the uniqueness of each better. This rule of serving wine may be applied to dinner parties or even on how you select the wine that will be tasted at a winery tasting room or in a blind tasting event. Take note that in this order of listing, the first guideline usually supersedes the next.
1. Dry wines first before sweet. Sweet wines generally have a long aftertaste so dry ones that are drunk after having sweet ones will taste sour, bland, or may even be too strong.
2. Always go for light before full. Full bodied and full flavored wines have the tendency of cancelling out the flavor of more delicate wines. A light, dry rose will taste better if drunk before a big Montrachet. Also, Pinot Noir is tastier when taken before Cabernet Sauvignon rather than the other way around.
3. Remember to prioritize white wines over red wines. One of the m
ost common mistakes in serving wine is to give this third guideline the highest priority. This should not be. Keep those off-dry and sweeter white wines for later after the dry reds, or make sure to insert a spacer of sorbet or a palate wash between tastings. On occasion, people may prefer having a light Pinot Noir or Beaujolais before having a big, full Chardonnay.
4. Go for old wines first before younger ones. The common wine rule that people know is to save the best and the most complex wine until last. But this fourth guideline goes against that. Young wines are simpler and are generally more fruity, intense, crispy, and tannic than old wines, and because of these they tend to overpower them. You must give the older wine priority so they are appreciated for their complexity, elegance, softness, length, etc. After that, the younger wines may then flaunt their hard bodies and vigor.
Again, do not forget that the rules listed first in these guidelines supersede those that come after it. For example, a young and dry red wine should be served before an old and sweet white wine. In this example, dry before sweet is more important than both old before young and white before red. There may be situations where there can be exceptions to the rule like the type of food served. For example, a light and sweet white wine served with an appetizer can be better drunk first before a full and dry red with a meat course.
1. Dry wines first before sweet. Sweet wines generally have a long aftertaste so dry ones that are drunk after having sweet ones will taste sour, bland, or may even be too strong.
2. Always go for light before full. Full bodied and full flavored wines have the tendency of cancelling out the flavor of more delicate wines. A light, dry rose will taste better if drunk before a big Montrachet. Also, Pinot Noir is tastier when taken before Cabernet Sauvignon rather than the other way around.
3. Remember to prioritize white wines over red wines. One of the m
4. Go for old wines first before younger ones. The common wine rule that people know is to save the best and the most complex wine until last. But this fourth guideline goes against that. Young wines are simpler and are generally more fruity, intense, crispy, and tannic than old wines, and because of these they tend to overpower them. You must give the older wine priority so they are appreciated for their complexity, elegance, softness, length, etc. After that, the younger wines may then flaunt their hard bodies and vigor.
Again, do not forget that the rules listed first in these guidelines supersede those that come after it. For example, a young and dry red wine should be served before an old and sweet white wine. In this example, dry before sweet is more important than both old before young and white before red. There may be situations where there can be exceptions to the rule like the type of food served. For example, a light and sweet white wine served with an appetizer can be better drunk first before a full and dry red with a meat course.
Holly Peters
Wine Cellar Spec designed the one of a kind Custom Wine Cellars Memphis TN. Find out more about wine cellar design Texas by visiting http://www.WineCellarSpec.com/.
View all articles by Holly Peters