Here are the top misconceptions about wine.
Know these and you will enhance your enjoyment of wine.
Red wines should never be chilled.
Some red wines actually are better at cooler temperatures, like Beaujolais.
In fact, red wines have a recommended serving range from 54 to 66 degrees depending on the wine.
For example a port is recommended to be served at 66 degrees, a Cabernet at 63 and Beaujolais at 54 degrees.
White wines, by comparison, are recommended to be served at between 41 and 48 degrees.
Reserve wines are the best and considered top of the line.
There is no standard in the American wine industry that regulates, allows or even suggests when a particular wine should be labeled "reserve.
" This is generally nothing more than a marketing ploy and it can mean completely different things from one winery and varietal to another.
If the bottle has a screw-top that is an indication of a cheap wine.
This is definitely not true these days.
More and more wineries are sealing their bottles with screw tops to avoid cork contamination.
All wine contains the same amount of alcohol.
The amount of alcohol in wine can vary dramatically from 8 percent up to as much as 22 percent.
The amount of alcohol is very important.
Not only will the amount affect the way you feel after drinking it but it will also have an effect on the taste, texture, and body.
Table wine generally has concentrations of alcohol, ranging from: 8 - 14%; sparkling wines come in at from 8-12% and fortified wines are very high with alcohol at from 17-22%.
Young wines are not as good as those that have aged.
That may have been the case many years ago, but not as much today.
Most of the wines today are sold ready to drink.
We are a society today of instant gratification.
Close to 90% of all wine purchased in the United States is consumed within 48 hours of the purchase.
As a result, the industry brings to market wines that are meant to be consumed immediately and require very little aging to taste good.
The more expensive the wine, the better it will taste.
The industry would like for you to keep thinking this, but there are some great 10 dollar bottles of wine out there.
Prices vary dramatically depending on many factors, all of which may or may not have a bearing on taste.
Factors that affect price include but are not limited to: the name and reputation of the winemaker and winery, type of grape used, how expensive it was to harvest the grapes in a particular year, cost of the land the grapes were gown on, and even where you purchase the bottle.
All German wines are sweet.
It is a common thought that all German wines are sweet, but that is far from accurate.
In truth, close to 2/3 of the entire production of wine in Germany is dry.
Most Germans actually prefer dry wines.
Know these and you will enhance your enjoyment of wine.
Red wines should never be chilled.
Some red wines actually are better at cooler temperatures, like Beaujolais.
In fact, red wines have a recommended serving range from 54 to 66 degrees depending on the wine.
For example a port is recommended to be served at 66 degrees, a Cabernet at 63 and Beaujolais at 54 degrees.
White wines, by comparison, are recommended to be served at between 41 and 48 degrees.
Reserve wines are the best and considered top of the line.
There is no standard in the American wine industry that regulates, allows or even suggests when a particular wine should be labeled "reserve.
" This is generally nothing more than a marketing ploy and it can mean completely different things from one winery and varietal to another.
If the bottle has a screw-top that is an indication of a cheap wine.
This is definitely not true these days.
More and more wineries are sealing their bottles with screw tops to avoid cork contamination.
All wine contains the same amount of alcohol.
The amount of alcohol in wine can vary dramatically from 8 percent up to as much as 22 percent.
The amount of alcohol is very important.
Not only will the amount affect the way you feel after drinking it but it will also have an effect on the taste, texture, and body.
Table wine generally has concentrations of alcohol, ranging from: 8 - 14%; sparkling wines come in at from 8-12% and fortified wines are very high with alcohol at from 17-22%.
Young wines are not as good as those that have aged.
That may have been the case many years ago, but not as much today.
Most of the wines today are sold ready to drink.
We are a society today of instant gratification.
Close to 90% of all wine purchased in the United States is consumed within 48 hours of the purchase.
As a result, the industry brings to market wines that are meant to be consumed immediately and require very little aging to taste good.
The more expensive the wine, the better it will taste.
The industry would like for you to keep thinking this, but there are some great 10 dollar bottles of wine out there.
Prices vary dramatically depending on many factors, all of which may or may not have a bearing on taste.
Factors that affect price include but are not limited to: the name and reputation of the winemaker and winery, type of grape used, how expensive it was to harvest the grapes in a particular year, cost of the land the grapes were gown on, and even where you purchase the bottle.
All German wines are sweet.
It is a common thought that all German wines are sweet, but that is far from accurate.
In truth, close to 2/3 of the entire production of wine in Germany is dry.
Most Germans actually prefer dry wines.