1. Let your wine sit.
After pouring wine into your glass, let it sit in your glass for at least 1 to 2 minutes before drinking it, or until you see most of the little bubbles disappear.
The bubbles you see in the wine is CO2, which is a byproduct of the fermentation process. CO2 may also be added to wines by the winery, because it acts as a preservative. In its liquid form CO2 is called Carbonic Acid. When you pour wine into your glass you will see lots of little bubbles which is the CO2 (carbonic acid) escaping the wine. Carbonic acid has a very harsh taste, so waiting a couple of minutes after the wine is poured, will give you a smoother tasting wine experience. In fact this is what aeration does, it strips the CO2 our of the wine.
2. Coat your wine glass.
As wines today are becoming higher in alcoholic percentage compared to wines in the past, it is critical to downplay the perception of alcohol in maximizing the enjoyment of wine. Alcohol does in fact impede us from enjoying all of a wines flavors. Wine experts tell us to swirl your wine to release the aromas.Unfortunately, the major aroma that will be released first comes from the alcohol. The alcohol produces a medicinal taste that can be perceived quite easily and affects other aromas.
I would suggest instead of swirling your wine, coat your glass with the wine by gently holding the glass as horizontally as possible, while rotating it in your hand. The more you coat the glass with the wine, the more intense the wine drinking experience..
3. Serve your wine at colder temperatures.
Instead of serving or storing red wine at 62 degrees or higher as most experts recommend, I recommend storing and serving it at 55 degrees. Lowering the temperature to 55 degrees reduces the perception of alcohol. The wine will slowly warm up in the glass to 62 degrees,and avoid getting to temperatures in the mid to high 60's that promotes the perception of alcohol. Keeping your wine in your fridge at 55 degrees also helps with reducing oxidation better than any contraption on the market.
4. Use a large and deep wine glass.
Pouring 5oz of wine in a large 30oz glass vs a small glass typically 12oz to 15oz, will provide a more powerful tasting experience. In the 30 oz glass there is 25oz of capacity free for the aroma to occupy, while in the 12oz there would be only 7oz of capacity free for the aroma to occupy. The aroma in the smaller glass is escaping simply because there inst enough free capacity to contain it.
5. Approach.
The approach to wine can be just as important for its enjoyment, as the wine itself. We can be convinced that a wine is good simply by giving it importance. Think of a nice juicy fillet mignon that you are being served on a paper plate with plastic utensils. Your mind downplays the expected taste experience because it relates the fillet mignon to the cheap, low end place setting. That same fillet mignon served in a high end restaurant on fancy dinnerware, will taste better simply because your conditioned to equate a high end restaurant with great tasting food. Stemware does the same for wine. When you pour wine into a beautiful over sized crystal glass, your mind relates the wine's significance to the beautiful wine appropriate glass The same wine served in a typical 10 to 12oz clunker downplays the expectation regarding the wine's taste.
