The Kit
Decanting wine kit
T H E
Que Syrah Syrah
Q . Should we be decanting our wine ? A . “ Decanting a wine has to be considered as a gesture to improve the characteristic of the wine itself to give the greatest pleasure . When it comes to deciding whether to decant a wine or not we have to consider what could be beneficial for the wine and consequently for us when we taste it . A very young wine will positively lose all the ‘ too fresh ’ and intense aromas giving more space to secondary or tertiary scents ( fruitiness , chocolate , tobacco , herbs , etc .). On the other hand , a quite aged wine needs to be carefully considered so as not to take the risk of a relatively fast oxidation . It ’ s very important for clearing any sediment . The wine has to breathe for not less than half an hour , but it shouldn ’ t be opened for more than four hours from the decanting time to the last glass either .”
Vacu Vin Swirling Carafe
RRP : £ 44.99 Harts Price : £ 35.99
LSA Wine Water & Wine Carafe Set & Oak Base 1.2L / 1.4L
RRP : £ 50.00 Harts Price : £ 40.00
Tasting wine
Sweet Child of Wine
Q . How should we taste wine ? Do you have any tips to help us get more out of tasting ? A . “ Use all your senses : have a look at the wine and do have expectations of the colour and the rim variations ( where the colour of the wine is darker in the centre compared to the rim ). Smell the wine , swirl it and closing your eyes will help . Trust your feelings in term of flavours ; start with a little teaspoon sized sip of wine and then have a bit more generous one , go through your sensations and think of how your mouth reacts . If it waters , it means that acidity is high whereas if your mouth feels dry it means that there are high tannins . If you feel like chewing the wine the structure is important . All the above indications drive you to a specific place of the world , a vintage , a grape varietal and often a style of wine and this is very important when it comes to pair with food .”
Q . How do we tell if a wine is corked ? A . “ A corked wine is something that you will never forget . It has a very specific smell and if you have never experienced it before just trust your senses , they will alert you when something about it is not good enough . If you are in doubt and you have the opportunity ask the sommelier for his opinion , he would never lie , being a wine lover . Sometimes the wine is not corked but just very closed and in that case , pour a bit of wine in a glass and swirl generously . If it is corked it will still smell bad after this treatment .”
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