This season marks the 20th Anniversary of our Wine Club in Upton and after the obligatory AGM, we started the year by looking at some myths and facts about wine that could be of use to us all! Here are a few things we discussed during the evening.
You may have put a silver spoon in an opened bottle of fizz and put it in the fridge, to drink it a few days later … in reality, it’s probably the cold that is preserving the bubbles not the spoon! Putting a stopper in the top and keeping it upright in the fridge (ideally not in the door, which will disturb the wine every time you open it) is likely to give you a few extra drinking days!
Like many things, we are more confident in trying and recommending something if it has been personalised to us. There are a few wine apps in the market now that will give you information on your wine just from taking a photo of the label and if you give some feedback on your preferences, it will make recommendations on similar wines you might like to try. I like everything about a Chardonnay from Burgundy except the price, so my app suggested trying South African Chardonnays, where there are some exceptional wines at a very good price!
Do all wines improve with age? Well, in a word no! Broadly, the wine needs to contain a stabilizer to allow it to last for several years. For red wines, these are tannins and for white wines, a high degree of acidity, sugar or alcohol to help preserve it over time. Over the years, wine will soften and change in complexity and colour. Some wines for example need to age by law: for example, a Rioja. Crianza will have been stored before bottling for a minimum of 24 months, while a Gran Reserva will need storing for a minimum of 60 months! Both spending some time in oak barrels, which give it an added layer of flavour and complexity.
