Art of Good Taste
in association with Tio Pepe
Peter McCombie
Peter McCombie is one of Britain's leading restaurant wine consultants and a respected judge in international wine competitions. Born and raised in New Zealand he has a relaxed, Antipodean approach to wine. He believes good wine can be found almost anywhere and that what is in the glass is much more important than the name on the bottle
Serving Wine
There is no need for elaborate preparation when serving wine at home. Common sense should prevail.
Mostly the temperature at which white or sparkling wine or sherry comes out of the fridge should be fine. If the bottle is noticeably cold, then leave it out for a while and pour small portions so the wine can warm up slightly - this helps the flavour develop.
Red wines served in a heated kitchen may on the other hand be too warm. Many reds taste better very slightly cool (not cold), perhaps cellar temperature - if you have one. Don't be afraid to put red wine in the fridge for 10 or 20 minutes if it is too warm. You'll be amazed how much better it will taste. If red wine is too cold it can taste hard. Tip it vigourously into a decanter (or any old - clean - jug), then back into the bottle and perhaps back in the jug again. This will help it both to warm up and to 'open' up.
It might seem strange but the shape of a glass effects the taste of wine. You can buy expensive ones, but as a rule of thumb good sized glasses, with a tapering 'tulip' shape are best. Don't overfill them - to the widest part of the glass is better. Tumblers are ok for picnics but they don't do the wine any favours
