Finewine - FAQ

Wine FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

[General] [Champagne] [Types of Wine] [Serving] [Wine Making]

Q1. Why do I get a headache when I drink wine?

There are multiple answers to this question and any one of them may be the cause of your headache. The first and most simple is over-indulgence in wine which leads to dehydration and then to headaches. Other reasons include physical reaction to tannins (which are the mouth-drying bitter flavors in wine, tea and other foods) from the grape skins or oak barrels, an allergic reaction to the sulfite or histamines in wine, or a reaction to residual pesticides used on the grapes. If wine gives you headaches try well-made high-quality wines that are lighter bodied and have little or no oak contact.

Q2. How should I store wine at home?

This depends on how long you intend to store the wine. For short periods of time the major concerns are temperature and light. Store the bottles on their sides away from strong light (out of the sun) and in an area that has fairly constant temperature (not to exceed 75F). Drastic temperature swings are more dangerous than a higher but constant temperature. Long term storage of wine presents similar concerns including keeping a near constant temperature (ideally between 55-60F), relatively high humidity ( near 75%), and protection from light and isolation from vibration.

Q3. Should I chill red wine?

If you want to! Most red wines in the US are served too warm. 60-65F is ideal for all red wine, that's "cellar temperature". If you like it colder than that, select lighter bodied wines like Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, simple Rhones, Cabernet Franc and Loire Valley Reds for chilling. The best way to chill a wine is to put it in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes. Please don't put ice cubes in the glass, unless of course your drinking a Sangria.

Q4. What is decanting and when should I do it?

Decanting is the process of transferring wine from the bottle to another receptacle. It is the best thing to do when a wine has thrown some sediment in the bottle. The very action of pouring the wine from one container to another aerates it and releases the esters and aldehydes, perhaps trapped in the bottle for years, to intoxicate your nose and palate. The general rule is that the younger a wine is, the longer time the wine should be decanted before a meal. A very old wine often needs to be decanted and then drunk almost immediately, before it "dies in the glass". This is especially true if it has given off a fair amount of sediment, which is very common in older wines.

Q5. How long can I keep wine once I have opened the bottle?

The easiest thing to do is simply recork the bottle, put it in the fridge and drink it within a day or two. It takes a week or so for wine to really start going bad. Letting a bottle sit out for a few days will not ruin it. However, after a few days a wine will lose its flavor and begin to go flat. The best, and most difficult, way to maintain a bottle after it's been opened is to use an inert gas that puts a protective layer between the wine and oxygen. A more practical way to keep your better wines for a few days is to use a pump (that we sell in our gift shop) that removes the oxygen from the bottle. Don't forget the other option of buying half bottles for those evenings when you and your significant other only want a glass or two.

Q6.What are those white crystals floating in my white wine?

Cold, northerly vineyards such as ones found in microclimates of California and Oregon, tend to produce wines high in acidity. Most wine producers throughout the world chill their wines for a few weeks near freezing before bottling. This process, called cold stabilization, turns excess tartaric acid into crystals. Some wines are not cold stabilized, as some winemakers who feel this somehow reduces the quality of a great wine. These wines will, upon refrigeration, show more crystals in the bottle, either stuck to the cork or in the bottom of the glass. The crystals are harmless, tasteless, odorless.

Q7. What is the difference between vintage and non-vintage Champagne?

The major difference is that vintage champagne is made from the grapes of only one year's harvest, whereas non-vintage champagne is a blend of many different years' wines. Non-vintage champagne is a blend of several different years' wine. Because of this, the character of non-vintage champagne is very consistent year after year. Styles of non-vintage champagne vary by both producer and region within Champagne.

The vintage wines are only made in exceptional years where the grapes ripen well (as Champagne, as a region, is rather far north) and can only contain juice from that vintage. Some of these vintage bottlings are aged for many years in the winery before being released while others are aged the minimum required by law (3 years). Because these wines are produced from a single year's fruit they reflect that specific vintage and can vary from one vintage to another (from delicious brain-numbing liquids to idiosyncratic wines that can be backward). A well-known example of vintage champagne is Moet & Chandon's cuveé Dom Perignon.

Q9. What is the difference between a Sparkling Wine and a French Champagne?

Strictly speaking, it refers to the district in France named Champagne, and to the unique process invented there called "méthode champenoise," for producing sparkling wine. France's northernmost winemaking region encompasses only about 85,000 acres. Champagne stands for gaiety, celebration and festivity, for wealth and splendor, for love. It means New Year's Eve, the launching of ships, toasts to Kings and Presidents. Its reputation has spread farther than that of any other wine. In fact there are lots of other bubbles out there, some of it very good, but it is technically not Champagne.

Wines that bubble like Champagne, but are made somewhere else, are called "sparkling wines," even if they are made by the méthode champenoise. Sparkling wines are often less expensive than true Champagnes. If you don't feel like investing in a bottle of the French stuff, we've got some good sparkling wine from other parts of France, California, Spain and Australia to choose from.

The sparkle is what sets Champagne apart from other wines. It consists of bubbles of carbon dioxide gas, one of the by-products of fermentation. All fermenting wines throw off quantities of carbon dioxide, but in the méthode champenoise, or Champagne process, the bubbles are retained in the bottle, where they wait to be released and rise steadily to the surface after uncorking and pouring. The magical powers of the bubbles are wonderful.

Q8. What is the Proper Way to Uncork a Champagne Bottle?

When opening a bottle of bubbly it is important to pay attention. Most people, both in real life and in movies, open Champagne bottles in stupidly dangerous ways. Here's the correct method:

1. Cut the foil around the top of the bottle.
2. Place your hand or your thumb on top of the cork. Keep it there until the cork is out. Shooting corks all over the place is not cute.
3. Loosen the wire cage. No, you don't need three hands; the hand that holds the bottle can have its thumb on the cork.
4. Wrap a towel around the bottle to prevent slippage.
5. Ease the cork out gently by slowly twisting the bottle in one direction. You do not want the Champagne to foam or the cork to pop, or you will lose precious bubbles.

Q10. What is the difference between Chianti and Chianti Classico?

Both are wines from Tuscany in central Italy, and can be made from a blend of several different grape varieties. The difference is primarily one of geography; Chianti is a large Chianti Classico is a smaller region within Chianti. Classico also has stricter laws regarding blending and yields (fewer grapes per acre, leading to more intense wines). Finally a seal with a black rooster on it tells you that the wine you have is made by a producer that belongs to the Chianti Classico consortium.

Q11. Why are some wines aged in wood barrels, and what kind of wood is used?

Wood barrels have been around since the Romans. The Celts invented the modern barrel and have used it in winemaking because it imparted a nice character to the wine. Although many kinds of wood have been used through time the most effective wood has been oak. Oak gives the wine a flavor and can greatly improve the taste of wine. It depends on the type of oak, the age of the wood and how long the wine is stored in it. These are all decisions that the winemaker must make. French oak seems to be the oak of choice for most red wine producers. In part is the smoky flavor imparted and also the actual coopering methods used. Many other countries make oak barrels including Yugoslavia, Germany, America, Australia and other Eastern European Oaks.