Just because April Fool’s Day just went by doesn’t mean you have to be tricked into thinking that everything you hear about wine is true. Fear not, one fool is ready to debunk some of the most popular oenological misconceptions.
Myth #1 – “Older wine is better wine.” The fact is, more than 95 percent of the wine sold today is meant to be consumed the very same day you buy it. Aging in proper conditions can have a positive effect on a select few wines, but for most, brief aging has no effect whatsoever and can sometimes be detrimental. Given enough time on its side, any wine will become unpalatable. Lesson: A wine is at its peak when you have one bottle left.
Myth #2 – “The wine needs to breath.” While it’s true that interaction with oxygen does have a (sometimes beneficial) effect, simply opening the bottle and letting it stand for an hour only keeps you from drinking for an hour. This is because the surface area exposed to air in the bottles neck is nowhere near enough to make a difference. To truly have an impact, the wine needs to be decanted, allowing far more molecules to interact with oxygen. That said, a vast majority of wines don’t need it. Lesson: Pour the dang wine already.
Myth #3 – “Judge the wine by smelling the cork.” I see people doing this a lot in my restaurant and others. It is customary for the server to open the wine in your presence, a practice that results from some less-than-scrupulous restaurateurs pouring off the good stuff and replacing it with rotgut. The server then places the cork next to the person who ordered the wine. This is for your inspection, but only to see if the seal was a good one, something your nose can’t tell you. If the wine is more than a few years old it’s a good idea to feel the cork to see that it is moist. This indicates it was stored properly. Look at it to see that the stains do not run the full length of the cork, which could be an indication of contamination. Smelling it will tell you none of these things. Lesson: Cork smells like cork. Smell the wine instead.
Which brings us to Myth #4 – “Screwcaps are only for cheap, low quality wine.” This may once have been true, but today more and more wineries are waking up to the benefits of the screwcap. Consider this: if wine were a new invention, just being released to the market for the first time, do you think its producers would stop up the end of the bottle with a piece of tree bark? While I lament the loss of the romance and ceremony of pulling a cork from a bottle, the plain fact is the screwcap provides a better seal. With estimates of loss due to cork taint and improper seals hovering between ten and fifteen percent, its no wonder even the great wineries are shirking tradition in favor of effectiveness. Lesson: Get over it, screwcaps are here to stay.
Myth #5 – “White wine with fish, red wine with meat.” I can’t believe this one still haunts us, but does. The color of the wine should have little or no impact on why you choose it to go with a particular dish. Flavors, aromas and textures matter, but the color does not. I know many fish dishes that would go quite nicely with a well-made Pinot Noir, and conversely some grilled meats can handle an oaky Chardonnay. Lesson: The best wine for the meal is the wine you like.
Myth #6 – “The right glass for the right wine.” Companies like Riedel and Spiegelau would have you believe that each particular varietal calls for a particular size and shape of leaded crystal wine goblet. While a nice glass can add to your enjoyment, and those companies do indeed make very nice glasses, almost any vessel that is taller than it is wide will suffice. This reminds me of a related myth, the one where a wine glass must be held by the stem, ostensibly to keep from warming the wine. Utter nonsense. Although using the stem will keep the glass looking better by preventing fingerprints, in reality it makes no difference. A glass needn’t even have a stem – I’ve had many a delightful wine served in mason jars. Lesson: If it gets the wine to your lips, it’ll probably be fine.
So, just relax and enjoy the wine, sans pretense.
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| Kurt Michael Friese, Gather Food Correspondent | ||||
Gather ‘Round the Table is a regular feature of Gather Essentials: Food. Chef Kurt Michael Friese is a freelance food & wine writer & photographer. He is also the co-owner - with his wife Kim - of Devotay, a restaurant in Iowa City, serves on the Slow Food USA Board of Directors, and is owner/publisher of the local food magazine Edible Iowa River Valley. His book, A Cook's Journey: Slow Food in the Heartland has just been released. He lives in rural Johnson County, Iowa. Keep up with Kurt Michael's food series by joining his network, or subscribing to his content. | ||||
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Comments: 12 ( 1 removed by Kurt Michael Friese )
Glad to know I can order a glass of white with my red meat and not get laughed out of the restaurant though. Thanks Kurt.
I wonder why the comments are not showing horizontally?
I very much enjoyed this article. Humorous and common sense.
"A wine is at its peak when you have one bottle left."
&
"The best wine for the meal is the wine you like."
Recently dinner guests made a face when I pulled out a NY Riesling with a screw cap for dinner. Then, when I told them it was a $30 bottle of wine they were shocked! Yeah - the screw caps (and plastic vacuum bags) are here to stay!
However - I do have warm hands, so still drink chilled wine by holding the stem or bottom of the glass. I like my champagne cool.
Reidel makes great wine glasses, but I save the fancy ones for special ocaisions now. I've got some stemless classes that are not only perfectly adequate, but a lot more stable when you're having more than one glass.