The art of wine tasting

Finding the ideal wine to accompany a meal is a task that requires a bit of thought. Indeed, considering the numerous criteria such as the taste, the place, the season and the quality of the product, food and wine pairings can vary enormously. Nevertheless, there are some fundamental rules to follow:

• Delicate dishes deserve subtle, fine wines. Conversely, the more flavourful the dish, the more powerful and full-bodied the wine should be.
• Red wines go better with meats, whereas white wines are suited to fish and shellfish.
• Sweet white wines should not accompany oysters and game, and it’s best to avoid red wines with sweet dishes.
• To accompany a dish with sauce, such as boeuf bourguignon, it is best to choose a wine from the same region. This rule works more generally to with a common saying for wine pairing being “what grows together, goes together”, highlighting that dishes from a region generally pair well with wines from the same area.
• Contrary to popular belief, full-bodied red wines with high tannins do not pair that well with matured cheeses. With the exception of some full-bodied wines such as Cornas and Gigondas, most white wines are the pairing you’re looking for when it comes to cheese. Once again, regional pairings are best prioritised: Sancerre and goat’s cheese, Gewürztraminer and Munster cheese

Pairings best avoided:
Vinegar-based dishes and salad dressings – nothing "kills" a wine faster!
Brut Champagne and dessert as it destroys the delicacy of most dishes. Opt for a medium-dry Champagne or a sweet wine.

Below is a list of general food and wine pairing ideas which can still be adapted to suit each person's tastes and preferences.

Tannic red wine: Lamb, beef, duck, game, stew
Light red wine: Charcuterie and grilled meat
Dry white wine: Shellfish, crustaceans, grilled fish, white meat
Sweet white wine: Duck pâté, fish in a sauce, desserts
Champagne: Shellfish and crustaceans, fish in a sauce, pâté, semi-sweet desserts

The ‘Food and wine pairings’ section will provide you with all the additional information about pairing your dishes and wines.

The order in which wines are served is dictated by an unchanging rule: the wine currently in your glass should never make you regret the one that was served before. Therefore, serving wines follows the principle below:

• The youngest before the oldest
• The lightest before the most intense
• Dry wines before sweet wines

But certain wine pairings can cause these rules to be thrown out the window and trust us, nobody in France goes without their traditional sweet wine, most likely a Sauternes, with their Christmas Dinner starter to simply follow the rules above. In this case, it is preferable to favour slightly more acidic wines (sweet wine from the Loire Valley or late harvest wine (Vendanges Tardives) from Alsace) and opt for the richer Sauternes for dessert.

Temperature is a key element when serving and tasting wines. One degree too high or too low and it's a diplomatic incident, the relegation of your grand cru to the second division and a knock to your popularity. A few simple rules are enough to succeed in this balancing act.

The three golden rules:

• Serve wines that are going to be used as an aperitif slightly more chilled.
• Use an ice bucket, even for reds, but don't overdo it all evening (unless you really want to soak the label off the bottle).
• Do not exceed 18°C when serving red, warm wine is for after a day in the snow, and even then…

Each wine style has its own serving temperature. Note that the wine warms up in the glass by about two degrees, so this must be taken into account when bringing the wine (in a bottle or decanter) to the correct temperature.
It may seem a bit tedious at first but, once you know it, it’s like autopilot. Two things to bear in mind: cold temperatures tends to harden tannins, highlighting bitterness, while heat inhibits aromas and highlights alcohol.
The following list gives you the right tasting temperature for each type of wine.

• Fine red wine from Bordeaux: 17°C-18°C
• Fine red wine from Burgundy: 16°C
• Fine red wine before their peak: 15°C-16°C
• Fine dry white wines: 13°C-14°C
• Light, fruity and young red wine: 13°C-14°C
• Rosés and new harvest wines: 10°C-12°C
• Dry white wines and simple red wine: 10°C-12°C
• Simple white wine: 8°C-10°C
• Champagne and Crémant: 7-8°C
• Non vintage Champagne: 8°C
• Vintage Champagne: 10°C
• Mature vintage Champagne: 12°C
• Sweet wines: 7-8°C

For mature vintages, the recommended temperature should be increased by one or two degrees. For example, a mature Burgundy should be served at 17°C.

A sweet wine with its high sugar content should be served chilled but not ice-cold, at around 8°C. The higher its sugar content and the more complex it is, the higher the temperature needs to be to bring out its aromas. However, make sure not to go beyond 12°C.

A young wine will withstand one or two degrees less than a wine at its peak opening window. Fruity and young, these wines are indeed livelier and generally more acidic than when they're older. At this young age, serve white wines between 9°C and 12°C, red wines around 15°C, or between12°C-13°C if they are light wines such as Gamay or Pinot Noir. The exception to this rule is tannic, powerful reds which, if served too cold, risk appearing harsh because the bitterness of their tannins will be enhanced.

Red wines are generally enjoyed less chilled than white wines. But depending on the grape variety, the age of the wine, the season, it can vary. For example, a light red wine (made from Gamay, such as from Touraine or Beaujolais, or Pinot Noir from Alsace or Burgundy) is served slightly chilled, at around 14°C. In summer, there will also be a tendency to cool them slightly more. A young wine will be suitable at a few degrees lower than its older counterpart, which is more inclined to handle 17°C-18°C (never more, beyond which the tannins become harsh and bitter).

You might think that uncorking a bottle is simple. And yet, when you open a large bottle, does the occasion overwhelm you and make your hand tremble? Follow our advice to make the most of this crucial moment...

At the time of opening, the bottle must, of course, have reached the appropriate temperature (see our recommendations regarding the ideal tasting temperature). The capsule covering the cork should be cut either in the middle of the ring or below it. Does the cork show some traces of mould? No worries, it's actually a good sign. It’s presence simply indicates that the wine has been stored in a damp cellar.

For mature vintages, caution and slowness are the keys to success. Opt for a classic corkscrew (the famous waiter's friend), known for its great precision. Be careful not to cross the cork, which weaken it when pulling it out. It is advised against using gas or air devices that can damage the wine. To open a bottle of Champagne, hold the cork firmly with one hand and gently turn the bottle with the other (not the other way around).

Decanting and aerating are important steps when serving certain wines. These two methods require tact and discernment. Even though most wines can be served directly from the bottle, some benefit from being poured into a carafe beforehand or, for some, decanted. It is necessary to distinguish the term ‘carafing’, which involves quickly pouring a wine (usually young) into a carafe to oxygenate it, allowing it to release its aromas more quickly, from ‘decanting’, which involves filtering any deposits.

Decanting: a delicate operation

The best candidates for decanting are red wines with sediment, the aim being to keep the latter in the bottle when decanting.

How to decant a wine? Simply pour the wine gently, slowly, and continuously from the bottle into a decanter. This action will not only leave the sediment in the bottle but also allow the wine to develop aromas more or less quickly depending on the wine's exposure to air.

Purists will pour the wine by placing a candle – more modern lighting method are also tolerated – behind the decanter. Decanting should be carried out one to two hours before service. For older, delicate wines, standing the bottles upright for 24 to 48 hours before serving can allow the sediment to settle at the bottom, reducing the risk of 'killing' the wine when the bottle is opened.

Carafing, accelerated ageing of wine

Essential for some wines, decanting can also prove fatal for others. Carafing is generally recommended for young red wines. This method allows the wines to release their aromas more quickly when they have not reached the flavour complexity of long ageing in the cellar. The carafed wine will become smoother and rounder.

White wines can also be carafed, especially sweet ones which will gain power and aromatic richness. On the other hand, Champagnes do not benefit from being decanted or carafed. Also be careful, spending too long in the decanter may cause the wine to lose its vitality and character. Exercise caution with mature vintages, some of which only last a few minutes after opening. Violent oxygenation due to decanting can prove fatal.

Of course, for both of these methods, choose a clean carafe/decanter, previously rinsed with clear water, filtered to avoid lime deposits, and thus free from any musty or dusty odours. Purists (them again) will opt for larger and wider decanters to aerate the wine. Thank you to Philippe Margot for his valuable insights regarding these very delicate tasks.

Each type of wine has a corresponding glass. As a general rule, the glass should be in the shape of a closed tulip. With a rim, curving inwards, the glass should capture the wine's aromas and channel them to the nose. A glass should never be filled to more than a third of its capacity. Ideally, the capacity of a glass is 300ml. It is possible to use some much larger glasses to release the aromas of a young wine or to taste a wine at its peak opening window. On the other hand, for very old vintages, opt for slightly smaller glasses to prevent the aromas from evaporating too quickly. For Champagne, a flute, which allows you to see the bubbles rising, is recommended (a coupe is less practical as it diffuses the aromas too quickly). The glass should be held by its stem and not by its bowl so that heat from the hand does not warm the wine too quickly.

Whatever the type of wine, there is a golden rule that must be followed. The glasses as well as the carafes must be impeccably clean. Too often, a thin film of soap or an unpleasant detergent smell alters the subtle and delicate bouquet of a fine wine.

Tasting is both simple and complex. There are several steps that oenologists and oenophiles go through when tasting wine to deduce their initial impression of it. The shape of the glass should be adapted to the type of wine so that a fair appreciation of its nose and palate can be made.

To judge a wine’s colour, it is necessary to observe it in the glass against a white background. You are studying its colour, and the intensity and tone of it. The colour of a wine changes deepening to its age. For example, the colour of a red wine evolve as follows: purple, ruby, garnet, tawny.

A well-made wine must be:

• Dazzling! Especially white wines./li>
• Clear. If it has not been too filtered, it will be a little cloudy./li>
• The rim (the edge of the wine) is observed by holding the glass vertically for white wines and by tilting the glass for red wines. Thus, the thickness of the rim shows its potential for ageing. The thicker it is, the greater its potential. The rim is the indicator of the acidity contained in the wine./li>
• Tears are an indication of the alcohol and glycerol content in the wine. Alcohol creates a warming sensation on the palate, while glycerol causes a rich feeling. Tears are the droplets that run down the sides of the glass when the wine is swirled in the glass.

A wine can develop up to 700 good or bad aromas. The olfactory function accounts for 70% of the information gained by tasting the wine in an analytic way.
The first nose – To uncover it, one must lean towards the glass placed on the table in order to discern the intensity and the general character of the wine.

Holding the glass with the tips of your fingers, gently swirl the wine in the glass and then bring it to your nose. Aromas are divided into four groups: Fruit and vegetal, mineral, animal and empyreumatic.

The attack: The first two or three seconds in the mouth. It can be round, soft, lively...
The middle: The flavours develop on the tongue. The tactile effects (astringency, viscosity, and tannins) as well as a thermal effect related to the alcohol are revealed at this stage of tasting.
The finish: It is the persistence of aromas on the palate, measured in seconds.

"The glass doesn’t matter, as long as we are inebriated?" Well, no! Good wine, good glass; the container is as important as its contents. First of all, choose a glass that is as thin as possible, ideally crystal unless you are worried about breakage (hand washing, which is recommended, increases this risk).

The brand Chef&Sommelier (Arc International, formerly Mikasa) offers glasses made from Kwarx, the "Open Up" which are reputedly unbreakable … The finer and more well-designed the glass, the more the wine will be heightened. For the colour, favour transparency over opacity, although opaque glasses are nonetheless fun for "trick" tastings to confuse blow friends of the scent. As for the shape, opt for a wide glass (especially if the wines need to open up, such as Grenaches, which tend to seem closed) and a long stem to hold it better without warming the wine. Exception: the O glasses from Riedel, without stems, are very fine. Give them a try!

The more avid among you can then go so far as to equip yourselves with sets of glasses for each type of wine (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsatian wines, Chiantis, Riojas, Champagne, etc.) and even for each grape variety. Riedel, the leader in oenological glassware (owning the brands Spiegelau and Riedel), offers a stunning line of glasses and various ranges, pushing the perfect association to the extreme.

Verres de rouge sur une table en bois.

Georg Riedel imagined and created his range according to the following principle: the glass significantly alters the olfactory and gustatory perception of wine. Certain aromatic elements can thus be altered by the shape and opening of the glass. The glass should therefore be adapted to the grape variety, according to its natural acidity, strength, and aromatic potential. The ‘Sommeliers’ range is a must in this way, being mouth-blown glasses made in Austria, but the Vinum range, mechanical, is also very efficient. More info on www.riedel.com

Other good glass producers: Atelier du Vin and Schott Zwiesel, and particularly the Enoteca or Grace ranges from Zwiesel.

And finally, Peugeot-Saveurs has developed the ‘Impitoyables’ glasses. The top glasses, for example, for young reds and rosés, have an angular shape that provides a significant oxygenation surface, thus accelerating the circulation of aromas; the lively angle at a third of the height particularly enhances the young aromas.

Red wines

A golden rule to keep in mind: above 20°C, all red wines, whatever they are, lose their qualities. They should therefore be kept at 16°C/17°C in an ice bucket filled with fresh water, for example.

White wines and rosés

For whites and rosés, place them in an ice bucket with plenty of fresh water and large ice cubes. Do this, at least 30 to 45 minutes before serving the wine, then while eating or until there is none left in the bottle.

An hour or two in the fridge has never been detrimental for any of these wines. Also consider chilled pockets – These cylinder slips fit around the bottle and cool it quickly; it can also keep a wine cool during a meal. Unobtrusive and extremely simple to use, just place them in the freezer before use. Between 10 to 25 minutes will be sufficient depending on the wine.

Before anybody panics, here is what to do when faced with an open bottle. Par le Professeur Juju de Raisin, grande spécialiste à l'AP-HP (association polissonne pour les hédonistes polyphasés) et diplômée vachement en la matière.

Ne pas paniquer. It may simply be that you are no longer thirsty. (control)

Place the bottle out of sight to avoid any temptation. (protection)

Make sure to give guests a clear and firm warning: 'Stop, everyone out!' (alert)

The first symptom you have to take car of when faced with an unfinished bottle that it is at least half empty.

Its contact with oxygen has to be quickly stopped to prevent it from ‘breathing’. Because this number one enemy of wine is air. Exposed for too long, the wine oxidises. Its colour is tinged with golden or even brown highlights, the taste turns to 'Madeira’ etc. In short, all the symptoms of premature ageing appear after a few hours if the wine is left unprotected.

White wines and young wines are the most delicate, older ones lose their spark. You therefore need to empty the bottle. Using a vacuum pump that can be easily found in specialist shops.

Second symptom: the stopper remained on the kitchen table.

Above all, do not touch it, throw it in the bin or reseal the bottle with the side that has been in contact with the wine in the bottle, to avoid any risk of contamination; never reseal a bottle with the 'dry' side of the cork. The best course of action is to reseal it with the appropriate stopper provided with the vacuum pump. Place the wine in the fridge.

Where sparkling wines are concerned, forget about the spoon in the neck, an urban myth as absurd as it is ineffective. There are special corks for bubbles. The wine will keep until the next day but not much longer.

In the case of sweet wines, being in the fridge preserves them, a week in the refrigerator will help them get through their owner's decanting period.

If the wine is in a decanter, only return the wine to the bottle if there is no sediment, otherwise seal the decanter with its stopper and place it in the fridge. The less wine there is left, the less time it will keep.

However, do not forget that the longer the bottle is opened, the greater the risk of oxidation and the less time the wine will keep.

All connoisseurs of fine wines know, the best prevention is, by far, information. Far be it from us, then, to be killjoys! But some basic information is always good to have and pass on to younger generations who sometimes play dangerously with fire.

First of all, we are not all equal when it comes to alcohol: it spreads throughout the body, alongside the six litres of blood, to the most irrigated organs (liver, muscles, brain,…). Now, the male body contains 68% water compared to only 55% for the female, hence a lesser "dilution" for the latter. In general, the greater the body weight, the greater the amount of water, and the lower the blood alcohol concentration will be.

Good to know:

To stay within the realm of pure tasting, a 75 cl bottle of wine at 13% ABV contains 75 x 13 / 100 = 97.5 ml of pure alcohol, which given its density of 0.8, weighs 78 g. A bottle should allow for ten glasses to be filled.

Make sure to say "no" as long as your glass is not empty so you can count how many times you refill it. It's up to you to determine the number of glasses you allow yourself.

Sponge effect: solid foods (bread, starchy foods...) consumed at the start of a meal will reduce the rate of alcohol absorption (between 0.10 and 0.15 g/L per hour) Drinking water before meals and between each sip of wine seems to help smooth out the alcohol peak. At the very least, this practice will save you from a headache the next day. ;)

Are you driving? The best judge of your blood alcohol level remains the breathalyser. You will now easily find them in different shops. Cheaper and even simpler: have a designated driver.

Let's not kid ourselves: be aware that menthol chewing gum, coffee beans, a spoonful of oil supposedly 'waterproofing' the intestinal wall, or any other often-mentioned 'trick' to deceive breathalyser tests are, in reality, ineffective, whether it's to limit alcohol absorption beforehand or speed up its elimination afterwards. This information has been confirmed by the Ministry of Health.