Storage, Service & Faults

Question 1

List the most important places in your home where wine should never be stored.

Answer 1

• Kitchen, especially on top of the refrigerator
• In direct light (sunlight or bright artificial lights)
• Near a radiator or heating vent
• Bathroom

Question 2

What happens to wine when it is stored improperly?

Answer 2

• Sparkling wines can lose their bubbles
• Wines can taste cooked (maderized)
• Wines can taste old/stale (oxidized)

Question 3

Fill in the blank:

Bottles with cork enclosures should be stored on ______, while bottles with screw cap enclosures can be stored ______.

Answer 3

on their sides, standing up

Question 4

If a bottle of wine with a cork enclosure is left to age standing up (instead of being on its side), what can happen to the cork and the wine?

Answer 4

• The cork will dry out and shrink allowing oxygen inside
• The oxidized wine will lack freshness and taste stale

The cork shrinks when the wine no longer comes into contact with it. This causes oxygen to seep inside the bottle and damage the wine.

This results in the wine losing its freshness and will taste stale, dull, and older than it should. The wine could also turn a brown-ish color from the oxygen exposure.

Question 5

What is the optimal serving temperature for sweet wines?

Answer 5

Well chilled, 43º - 46ºF

(6º - 8ºC)

Question 6

What is the optimal serving temperature for sparkling wines?

Answer 6

Well chilled, 43º - 50ºF

(6º - 10ºC)

Question 7

What is the optimal serving temperature for light- to medium-bodied whites and rosés?

Answer 7

Chilled, 45º - 50ºF

(7º - 10ºC)

e.g. Albariño, Sancerre

Question 8

What is the optimal serving temperature for medium- to full-bodied and oaked white wines?

Answer 8

Lightly chilled, 50º - 55ºF

(10º - 13ºC)

e.g. Sonoma Chardonnay, white Burgundy, Condrieu

Question 9

What is the optimal serving temperature for light reds?

Answer 9

Lightly chilled or room temperature, 55º - 64°F

(13º - 18°C)

e.g. Beaujolais

Question 10

What is the optimal serving temperature for medium- to full-bodied reds, oaked or unoaked?

Answer 10

Room temperature, 59º - 64ºF

(15º - 18ºC)

e.g. Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, red Bordeaux

Question 11

When chilling down a bottle of wine, is it best to use just ice or an ice bath?

Answer 11

It’s best to use an ice bath.

If it’s just ice, there are air pockets between the cubes and the bottle won’t chill well or evenly; if water is added, then the entire bottle surface is in contact with the cold bath.

Question 12

What is the best material for glass polishing?

Answer 12

linen

Linen won’t leave particles on the glass.

Question 13

What is the typical glass used for sparkling wines?

Answer 13

flutes or tulip-shaped glasses

Flute glasses are good for sparkling wines as they allow a continous perlage and the small aperture helps focus gentle and subtle aromas.

Question 14

What is the optimal glass size for whites and rosés?

Answer 14

medium-sized stemware

Medium-sized stemware is best for whites and rosés as the smaller size can capture and focus fresh fruit characteristics and delicate aromas.

Question 15

What is the optimal glass size for red wines?

Answer 15

larger-sized stemware

Larger-sized stemware is best for red wines as the roomy globe allows for more of the wine to come in contact with air, and there is a larger surface area that can release aromatic molecules.

Question 16

What is the optimal glass size for fortified wines?

Answer 16

small glass

(4-6oz capacity)

A small glass is best for fortified wines because of their high alcohol content. There should be enough space in the glass for sniffing and swirling.

Question 17

Fill in the blank:

One of the best ways to extend a wine’s life after it has been opened is to put it in the ______.

Answer 17

fridge

Placing its original cork (or any cork) back into the neck of the bottle and keeping it in a cold, dark fridge will slow the aging/oxidizing process and prolong its life for a few days.

Question 18

Name two wine preservation systems used to extend a wine’s life after it has been opened.

Answer 18

Vacuum system

• Removing air from the bottle with a pump and compatible rubber stopper

Blanket system (aka Inert Gas System)

• Nitrogen or Argon gas is pumped into the bottle creating a barrier between the remaining wine in the bottle and oxygen

Either can be used in addition to or instead of the fridge.

Question 19

Why would you never apply direct heat to a wine to warm it up?

Answer 19

Heat can damage the wine’s flavors and aromatics.

If moving the wine from a cold cellar, it’s best to place the bottle on your kitchen counter for a few hours to bring it up to room temperature. Never apply direct heat to wine.

Question 20

What are the 3 things to do to check the wine to make sure it’s ready for service?

Answer 20

1. Appearance: is the wine hazy?
2. Appearance: is there anything floating in it?
3. Aroma: does it smell the way it should? Or, do you smell any faults (e.g. cork taint)?

Question 21

Name 3 common wine faults.

Answer 21

1. Cork taint
2. Oxidation
3. Heat damage

Question 22

What causes cork taint and what does it smell like?

Answer 22

A chemical compound called TCA and smells like musty, wet cardboard.

(TCA: Trichloroanisole)

A wine affected by cork taint will taste as though the fruit is hiding and the flavor has dulled.

Question 23

What does an oxidized wine smell like and what happens to the appearance?

Answer 23

Can smell like bruised apple, almonds, honey and the wine looks darker than it should.

An oxidized wine’s aromas will vary depending on the amount of oxygen it has been exposed to, but it includes anything from slight loss of fruitiness to complete loss of fruit.

Question 24

What does a wine smell like that’s been damaged by heat?

Answer 24

Old, dull, and stale, and will lack freshness and fruitiness.

Question 25

When opening a bottle of still wine, how many times is the neck of the bottle wiped with a cloth?

Answer 25

twice

• First after the removal of the capsule
• Second after the cork has been removed

Question 26

When opening a bottle of sparkling wine, do you twist the cork or the bottle?

Answer 26

Twist the bottle

One hand remains firmly on the cork at all times after the wire cage has been loosened (but not removed), while the other hand holds the bottom of the bottle and gently twists back and forth, slowly.

The hand holding the cork must apply some pressure to control the cork as it will want to pop out quickly. Slowly allow the cork to release by pushing back on it. The desired sound is a slight hiss.

Question 27

When decanting a wine off its sediment, should you agitate the bottle or keep it as still as possible?

Answer 27

Keep it as still as possible

Question 28

What are some of the steps taken to decant a bottle of wine?

Answer 28

1. Have a light source nearby
2. Hold the bottle’s shoulders a few inches above the light source
3. Watch for sediment as you pour
4. Decant carefully to prevent the glug-glug out of the bottle
5. Once the sediment reaches the neck of the bottle, gently stop pouring

Question 29

What are some of the negative impacts of alcohol?

Answer 29

• Can be addictive
• Can adversely affect health
• Can affect behavior