FAQ: Frequently Asked WINE Questions

This is a popular question because many people prefer sweet wines before they learn to appreciate and enjoy "dry" wines. There are many sweet tasting white wines, red wines, and blush or pink wines. Then there are dessert wines that are really sweet. Let's take them one at a time...

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2) Which wines need to be chilled for the best taste? What is the right temperature for serving various wines?

A general rule of thumb:
Red wine, 65 degrees (F).
White & rose wine, 55 degrees (F).
Champagne & other bubbly, 45 degrees (F).

To get to those temperatures reds can normally just be kept in the cellar. This is also called "cellar temperature." Whites and rose's can be put in the fridge for a few hours, and the bubblies longer. It is far better to use an ice bucket. Fill the bucket up...

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3) Can all wines be stored for aging or are there specific ones which can and others that will spoil? What should I look for? How should they be stored? Will changes in temperature from season to season affect the wine?

The overwhelming majority of wine, made or imported into the USA up to the $20.00 price point, is meant to be consumed within a year or two of release. Some of these will get better in another year of two, and if you happen let that happen; fine. Most of the world's wines (at least 90%) though are meant to be consumed young. Of the hundreds of questions we get here at the wine board a large number come from people who have hung onto wine too long. We get very few from those who popped it...

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4) How can I keep red or white wine which has been opened & not finished? How long does wine stay 'drinkable'? At what temperature should it be kept?

Leftover wine can be saved. The key point here is to keep oxygen away from the wine. When wine oxydizes, it degrades quickly and can soon turn into a good salad dressing vinegar.Find a small container that will hold the wine that is left over to the point were the container is virtually overflowing. Cap the container with a cork or plug so some of the wine does spill...

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5) I am looking for wines that do not have any sulfites in them. Can anyone give me a list of wines that do not contain sulfites?

Sorry...there's no such thing. Sulfite is a naturally occuring bi-product of fermentation. Any fermented product contains some sulfite...and that includes bread, soy sauce, beer, etc.It is true that for centuries winemakers the world over have added tiny amounts (parts per million) of additional sulfite to act as an anti-oxidant. The amounts of sulfite in wine are so minute that they seem only to bother the most hyper-allergic...

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