Wine Wisdom: Don't get stuck in a wine rut

In my last column, I reviewed highlights of my previous articles. Having received positive feedback from readers who found that useful, here are a few more thoughts on wine from previous columns.

Serving temperature

You probably know the oft-touted rule: Serve whites chilled and reds at about room temperature. However, most of us serve whites far too cold and reds much too warm, making for a less than optimum wine experience. Sadly, many restaurants are the worst offenders at serving wines at the proper temperature.

Overly chilling a white wine dims its flavors. Some delicate whites have subtle, delicious flavors that you'll miss when they are too cold. Whites from Alsace's Trimbach and others, for example, won't show their best, if over-chilled.

Try this. The next time you have a white wine, pay attention to its flavors as it warms up in your glass. Most likely, as the wine warms, you'll experience more flavors and appreciate it more.

By the same token, most reds don't show their best when served warmer than their ideal temp. The rule about serving reds at room temperature was devised in an 18th-century English castle, where rooms were a lot cooler than the 70 degrees most of us keep our homes today. Put reds into the refrigerator or an ice bucket for just a few minutes to get the wine temperature down into the low 60s prior to serving. Beaujolais wines can be served a tad cooler than that, making them refreshing alternatives for summer.

Wine aging

Retailers will often tell you a wine is ready to drink "now."

While that is probably true, I often find allowing a bottle to age a few months or even a year or two is a good thing, provided you don't wait too long and miss the optimum drinking window.

Most champagnes, for example, are released a bit too early, in my opinion; letting them sit for 12 to 18 months does wonders for them. I find this to be true of even inexpensive red wines as long as you don't let them go too long.

The basic principle of aging is that the elements of the wine integrate and blend together harmoniously, yielding a softer wine with more finesse. Most wines benefit to some extent from a little bit of aging, so stock up on a few and be patient. You'll enjoy the results.

Summer whites

I often find that wine consumers prefer either reds or whites and drink their preferred color almost exclusively. Taking that approach is the same as a confirmed bachelor dating only blondes and ignoring the many beautiful redheads, brunettes and black-haired women that abound. Often I find that wine preferences exist due mainly to a lack of having explored alternatives.

While I've been accused of never meeting a grape I didn't like, I've found more than a few wines I don't care for. I focus instead on the multitude of wines I've come to love and cherish ... at the risk of mixing metaphors here.

Summer is the perfect time to drink chilled white wines and good ones, as well as great ones, are plentiful. One recent, steamy day, I walked into a wine tasting and found a nicely chilled 2009 Le Fornaci Vernaccia San Gimignano ($16) awaiting me. It was perfectly refreshing. Naturally, I recognize some wine reactions are purely an experience of the moment and maybe this was one, but isn't that what the world of wine is about?

Another recent find was a 2009 Fontezoppa Verdicchio di Matelica ($16), a smooth, delicious white with a hints of apricot, mango and a subtle bit of licorice. Chilled properly, it's a perfect wine to help survive summer heat.

Purchase in quantity

Most consumers have a tendency to buy too little of a wine they like or, alternatively, they buy too much when they buy a case. If you attend a tasting and really like a wine, why not purchase three to four bottles rather than one or two? Then, when you consume one and enjoy it, you experience the satisfaction of knowing you have a few more to enjoy on future occasions.

On the other hand, unless you absolutely adore a wine or want to age it over many years, a case may be too many. I find the ideal quantity of a wine I relish is four to six bottles. These days, when I purchase a case of wine, I'm splitting it with a friend or two.

The world of wine is a world of adventure. Explore and enjoy.

Contact Mark P. Vincent at winewisdom@yahoo.com.