With the festive season upon us and many parties ahead, we wanted to share some of our  tips for serving wine. Read on to make your soirees go smoothly without any hiccups!

Serving Wine: How to Choose Your Glassware

In general, a red wine will be served from a larger glass than white wine as this gives it room to breathe and allows you to fully experience the scent and flavor. Some people will choose to use crystal glassware. This is because crystal is much stronger than glass and can, therefore, be spun into thinner glassware, which makes for a better drinking experience.

You will usually serve sparkling wine from a tulip-shaped glass or flute. If you want to really enjoy the taste and aroma then a tulip glass or a narrow-mouthed white wine glass will give excellent fizz. For dessert wines or fortified wines such as Port, you can prevent the evaporation of the high alcohol wines by drinking them from a small glass with a narrow mouth.

Serving Wine: How to Choose the Best Temperature

As a general rule, lighter wines should be served at a cooler temperature as this brings out acidity and freshness. Higher temperatures unlock the aroma of the wine and can reduce any bitterness.

How to Open a Bottle of Wine

Use a knife to remove the foil around the bottle. Place the corkscrew in the centre of the cork and twist it into it. Corkscrews usually have a ‘step’ in them. Use the first step to pull the cork halfway out, then move to the second step to pull it fully out of the bottle. If you are using a corkscrew with arms then simply push the arms inwards to lift the cork out and then pull it out the rest of the way. Use a smooth motion and be careful not to bend the cork as it may snap!

To open a sparkling wine, remove the foil and take off the wire cage around the cork. To do this, pull out the wire circle and then twist it to loosen the cage before lifting it off the bottle. Put a towel over the top of the bottle in case the cork is pushed out by the pressure. Grip the cork and turn the bottle, rather than turning the cork itself. You should hold the bottle at a 45 degree angle to allow air in. The cork will loosen and start to ease out of the bottle, eventually popping.

Of course, if your bottle has a screw top then you simply open your wine and pour!

We hope that these tips will help you to serve wine without any stress so that you can simply enjoy having fun with your family and friends.