How to Open a Wine Bottle and Ideal Method to Serve Wine
Opening a wine bottle in the proper way and serving wine in the right manner in a right glass is as important as production and preservation to savor the flavor and taste unaltered. Whether you are drinking alone at home, having dinner with your loved ones, or have invited guests over to your home it is important that you are well versed in the proper methods to have an enjoyable experience.
Uncork the Fizz
Wine bottles are generally sealed with a cork. Aluminum foil or plastic cover is wrapped around the cork. Sparkling wine bottles have a wire caging over the cork to prevent the pressure inside the bottle from pushing the cork out.
Take a blade and run it around the circumference of the bottle cutting the foil from the lower rim. You can also use the sharp tip of the corkscrew to make a slit in the foil and remove it. Remove the foil completely to avoid wine coming into contact with foil while serving it.
Remove the wire caging with your hands or using a knife. Place the wine bottle upright on a flat surface at a comfortable height or hold it between the knees with the tip of the bottle facing you. Insert tip of the corkscrew into the middle of the cork and slowly dig it in with a smooth and uniform clockwise rotation in the downward direction. Make sure that the corkscrew is vertical and straight while doing this.
Keep turning the handle of the corkscrew until the arms are completely raised and the screw disappears into the cork. Place one hand on each of the arms of the corkscrew and press them down. This will bring out the cork. Catch the base of corkscrew and lift it straight up. Twist the cork off the corkscrew and wipe the rim of the bottle with a napkin to remove any pieces of cork or lead from the foil.
Serving Wine
Red wine: It should always be served at room temperature. Low temperature tends to alter the aroma and flavor of red wine. Open the wine bottle and pour the wine into a decanter. After a few minutes you can pour it into a red wine glass that has a large bowl and wide mouth to drink. If there is no decanter you can pour the wine into the glass and swirl it before consumption. This will aerate the wine and also eliminate sediment.
White wine: It should always be served chilled. You can take the wine bottle out of the wine rack and place it in the refrigerator an hour or two before serving it. Pour the wine into a white wine glass that has a small bowl and narrow mouth.
Sparkling wine: Champagne and sparkling wine are best served at a temperature of around 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the wine bottle from the refrigerator half an hour prior to serving to bring it to appropriate temperature. Use champagne flutes with a long stem to serve sparkling wine.