The Answers to Your Top 3 Wine Questions
on the CBC's Steven & Chris Show
Click here to watch Episode #137 - I am guest #3
on the CBC's Steven & Chris Show
Click here to watch Episode #137 - I am guest #3
Running a wine club people always have lots of questions about wine and I enjoy teaching people about wine in a fun friendly and approachable way. It’s all about building wine confidence!
1 – How and Why Do I Decant?
Decanting is an easy to way to make a $15 bottle of wine taste like a $30 bottle of wine. It also makes you look very wine savvy to your guests. Decanting adds oxygen to the wine which opens up the flavours to your big red wines. 1 hour in a decanter is equal to 1 year of aging in a bottle.
How to Decant Wine in 5 Easy Steps:
1) Open Bottle
2) Slowly pour your red wine into the decanter – use to the candle to separate sediment
3) Swirl
4) Let sit for 30-60 minutes
5) Serve
Wine Featured: Chilean Santa Rita 120 Cabernet Sauvignon $10.45
2) What Glasses do I Serve with What Wine?Glassware makes a very large difference in the flavour of your wine. Riedel makes a different glass for almost every different varietal in the world.
1) Tall traditional champagne/sparkling glasses – Serve your Prosecco, Champagne and Sparkling wine in style in either the cool “O” glasses or go for the traditional style glass (Wine Featured - Chilean Fresita Sparkling wine $13.95)
2) Small bowled bottom and slight angle inwards (white wine)- Fresh Aromatic White Wines such as Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Viogner, Gewurztraminer among others. You can also use this glass as an all purpose white wine glass too. The “O” glasses can be easily stacked and can also be used for water glasses -
how’s that for versatility! (Wine Featured: Ontario Vineland Estates Semi-Dry Riesling $13.95)3) Large bowled (white wine) – if you like big bold chardonnay’s serve them in a large bowled
glass, give them a swirl and let the air into the glass. If they’ve been aged in oak (which most big chards are) this glass will help bring out their flavours and give them room to breath. (wine featured: Ontario Malivoire 2008 Chardonnay <$15). The 2007 is available delivered to your home via the iYellow Wine Store.com.4) Large bowled Pinot Noir (red wine) – Serve your elegant Pinot Noir in glasses that preserve their delicate aromas and hit your palate perfectly. (wine featured: Ontario Mike Weir 2007 Pinot Noir $21.95) Mike Weir wine available Via the iYellow Wine Store.com
5) Big Red Glasses – If you drink and enjoy big reds these glasses are a must. These glasses act as mini decanters for your wine and make them taste smoother and help bring out true flavour, (Wine Featured: South Africa Cathedral Cellar 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon $16.95)
6) Very Small bowled stemmed glasses - use these for Icewine and port. They make sure you don’t over serve and will hit your tongue in the place to enjoy the sweetness. (wine featured: Ontario 2006 Inniskillin Cabernet Franc Icewine & Portugal 2003
Taylor Fladgate Late bottled vintage Port) For a Wine & Glass guide check this out - www.wineglassguide.com
3) Which Wines do I Entertain With/bring to a Dinner Party?
It is always great to have a few wines on hand for those nights you want to entertain or those surprise moments when people just pop in – I always feel it better to have your bases covered with a few options-here are a few of my favourites!
1 – Sparkling (Wine Featured Ontario Peller Estates Ice Cuvee $31.95 and Chilean Fresita Sparkling wine $13.95
2 – Riesling (Wine Featured: Australia Wolf Blass 2008 Dry Riesling $14.95 & Vineland Estates Semi-Dry Riesling $13.95)3 – Pinot Noir (Wine Featured: Ontario Flat Rock 2008 Pinot Noir $19.99 & Mike Weir Pinot Noir $19.95)
4 – Chardonnay (Wine Featured: California Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay $16.45)&
Malivoire 2008 Chardonnay5 – Carmenare (Wine Featured: Chile Santa Alicia Carmenare Reserve $10.95)
6 – Icewine (Wine featured: Ontario 2006 Inniskillin Cabernet Franc Icewine)
NOTES: If you live in Ontario you can have Ontario wines delivered right to your door with the www.iYellowWinesStore.com - look for monthly iYellow pics too!
A special thanks to Riedel Glassware for the support for this segment – like wine? like glasses? Invest in Riedel Glassware www.riedelcanada.ca
