Looking for tips on Merlot, Chardonnay, And pinot grigio

[IEnjoyAFineBooze]

Hello i got one of each of these wines becasue i had never tried these varietals.

Yellow tail Merlot 04
Jeanjean 2002 Chardonnay
Bolla 2003 pinot grigio

We tried the merlot last night with dinner and found it to be somewhat bitter and the alcohol was very apparent.

NOw I know red wines should be consumed warm but what about the other 2 bottles? I liek my drinks cold but would it be a bad idea to drink them chilled? Also If its TOO cold will taht ruin anything?

One more question. I recorked the merlot last night. Ive heard about it spoiling? If so how long does this take and waht are some tips for preventing it?

Thanks in advance looking for some tips on the pinot g and the chardonnay.

[This message has been edited by IEnjoyAFineBooze (edited 03-09-2005).]

[PinotEnvy]

The Chardonay and Pinto Grigio should both be chilled before serving. As for the Merlot, warm may not be the best word to describe how to serve it. You do not want it to be chilled like the white wines, but 15 minutes in the refridgerator before serving would give it a nice temperature.

There are a couple reccomendations to preserving your wine after opening it. It is Oxygen that "spoils" the wine. What I do is I have 4 175 ml bottles that I pour any leftovers into. Because the bottles are so small, they fill easily and there is not much room left for air. Others use half bottles. There are also vacuume devices and gasses you can inject into the bottle in order to displace the oxygen containing air. Others can tell you more about those methods.

Additionally, regardless of it being a red or white wine refridgerate them after opening. That will also help.

PE

[wondersofwine]

Wines vary in their deterioration after opening but generally recorked and refrigerated wines will be drinkable for three or maybe four days. You can have a wine so chilled that it is hard to detect the nose (aromas) or flavors. In that case, let it sit at room temperature for a while before drinking. Usually with leftover red wine, I take it out of the refrigerator 30-40 minutes before dinner. A white wine I might take out 15-20 minutes before dinner and if it is still too chilled, I may skip it with salad and have only with the main course.