How to Serve Wine
Serving a wine properly can noticeably improve your tasting experience. In this article I’ll go through what you should do before serving a wine, and share a detailed step-by-step guide so you get the most out of the bottle you’ve chosen.
What to do before serving a wine
Before opening the bottle and pouring, it’s worth weighing a few crucial things:
Choosing the right wine for the occasion
Before serving, choosing the right wine matters. Think about which style best suits the moment. The old rule says red wines go with meat, while whites and rosés pair with shellfish, fish and appetisers, as they’re considered a better match. But rules are there to be broken.
Getting the temperature right
Temperature plays a crucial role in flavour. Reds are often served at around 14°C to 18°C, while whites and sparkling wines are usually served cooler, between 6°C and 12°C. Before serving, try to respect these ranges to taste the wine at its best.
Step by step: how to serve a wine
Now, let’s follow a step-by-step guide to serving wine at its best:
From the page to the glass
- Cascale Branco de Curtimenta — Síria made like a red: twelve days on skins, ten months in barrel.
- Portie Vinho do Porto Vintage — A single-harvest 2010, foot-trodden in the stone lagares of the Douro.
- Cabo da Roca Guardião dos Oceanos Rosé — Copper-toned, pressed straight to tank, no oak.
