There is plenty to learn about wine, and the more curious you are, the stronger your wine knowledge will be. There is an art to enjoying wine, and really coming to appreciate it, and the best way to further this journey is to set aside misconceptions about wine – so here are 4 wine myths debunked to help you understand wine like a pro.
Red Wine Is for Red Meat. White Wine is for White Meat.
There is some validity to pairing a heavily tannic red wine such as a Brunello di Montalcino DOCG with a T Bone steak, or a fresh, acidic white wine like a Valcolomba Vermentino della Maremma Toscana DOC with a grilled white fish. There is no denying these pair well together, but the profession of sommelier has become an artistry in recent years, as has the world of cuisine. Sommeliers are making bold choices in their pairing of nuances and aromas and pairing them with equally daring wine choices.
Screwcap Wines Signal a Poor Wine
We love to uncork a bottle as much as you do, but it is becoming ever more common to unscrew a wine bottle nowadays. This bears no reflection on what type of wine you are drinking. The screwcap has become more and more popular in wine production due them causing fewer wine defects and contamination. Now, this doesn’t mean that every wine that uses a screwcap is worth a try, and the same goes for corks. The best way to judge a wine is by its label. Don’t look at the cork, but at the winery. A winery such as Carpineto for example is a leader in its field, and you can be sure that every choice made is a deliberate one to enhance the experience in your glass.
Don’t Serve Red Wine Cold
If you like red wine, and you’d like a glass in the middle of a hot summer month, there is no one stopping you from drinking it chilled! As a general rule, ideal serving temperatures for wine are: white wine and rose wine 45 – 55˚F; sparkling wine 50 - 55˚F; red wine 55 – 65˚F. Now keep in mind that when the weather is warmer, room temperature changes so you may actually be drinking your red wine too warm if you don’t chill it a bit. Your best bet is to chill young red wines with light to medium body, and steer clear of chilling high tannic wines.
All Red Wines Age Well
This is another common myth which is likely to do nothing more than teach you how to make vinegar in certain cases! There are some red wines that do age well, such as Sangiovese based wines like Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva DOCG. This is a wine that has been already aged in oak, and has a level of tannins that make it possible to continue evolving in the bottle – if stored properly. But light bodied young wines are not bred to age, and you would be more likely to find an oaked white that could resist the test of time than certain young reds.
