We answer those burning questions about wine, from how long you can keep wine to what a corked wine is.
French wines have various quality indications on the label known as AOC (appellation d'origine contrôlée). This means that strict criteria have been enforced in the area in which it’s produced. These are well regulated and as a rule mean the wine has passed a series of quality controls before sale. Italy, Spain, Germany and many other countries have similar systems.
The best way for customers to know what's in a bottle is to learn the names of reliable producers. New World standards tend to be high as they have had to forge a reputation on the established international winemaking scene.
Wine can be made with one or several grape varieties. Bordeaux red wines, for instance, are often made with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes. This information is not always available on the label and many 'traditional' European wines never show these details.
However, a varietal wine is a fairly new concept which makes a positive virtue out of mentioning the grape variety. Starting in Alsace, France, with wines made from Riesling or Muscat, then Muscadet was an early example of a wine labelled by its grape type rather than its style.
In the 1970s, wine drinkers could buy 'Chablis' not only from the French region of that name, but also from Spain, South Africa or California. Today, these traditional names are protected, and instead wines are labelled 'varietally' - according to the grape type. This is how Chardonnay took over the world, and now red varietals like Merlot and Shiraz have done the same.
A true corked wine has been affected by cork taint as a result of a faulty cork. Bacteria grow on the affected cork and then the wine tastes musty and bitter instead of fruity and smooth.
A wine can also taste 'off' if it has oxidised. Decanting adds air to a wine and makes it age artificially. This can also happen to wine when it is still in the bottle and the cork has allowed too much air to enter, often caused by poor storage. This results in an oxidised wine that tastes oddly spiritous, as if vodka has been added to it. Essentially, the wine is breaking up, losing its chemical construction in the bottle and becoming undrinkable because of the invasion of oxygen. Send a damaged wine back if you're served it in a restaurant, or take it back to the store as long as you’re confident you’ve been storing it correctly.
If it's chilled - yes you can! But make sure your fish is not too oily. Mackerel, smoked salmon and herring taste strangely metallic with red wine. However, red wine is an ideal choice with sea bass, monkfish, swordfish and seared tuna steaks.
The fashion for barbecued fish and strong, often spicy flavours, means a Pinot Noir is often a much better choice with fish than traditional Chablis or Muscadet. Light white wine can be submerged under all that overpowering seasoning. If in doubt, serve a dry rosé from the Rhône Valley or California - a great compromise!
Does wine need to breathe?
This question really only relates to fine wines and those made in an old-fashioned way. Once upon a time, wines were made to be kept, and over time they threw a natural sediment in the bottle. Decanting made it easier to avoid the sediment and helped to air a heavy, tannic wine.
But now wines are made to taste fruity rather than of wood, and are aged for a shorter time (if at all) in oak barrels. Few need to be opened in advance of serving. Exceptions to the rule are some very heavy red wines made in Italy (including Barolo and Barbaresco) and Portugal (vintage port or Dao table wines) produced in a very traditional way.
Otherwise, forget decanting, unless you want to cheat and make a heavy Eastern European or South African wine taste smoother. An hour in a decanter adds air to any wine, however cheap, and if it is high in alcohol and low in subtlety, it can taste much better!
If you're storing leftover red wine, then it's best to chill it and then warm it up by leaving it in a centrally heated room for an hour or so before serving again.
But if it's one you've just bought, as a rule no. Exceptions are reds made with the Gamay grape, especially Beaujolais, and those from the Loire Valley including Saumur-Champigny and Bourgeuil. Cool red wine is the perfect accompaniment to almost any dish (as every Parisian knows), but don't allow it to get too cold. Take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before serving, or just chill in an ice bucket filled with mixed ice cubes and water.
What can I do with those dregs left over in the bottle?
Don't throw them away! Red or white table wine is great in homemade soups or casseroles - add lots of white to onion soup for that real French taste. Vegetarians can add richness and flavour to hot veggie dishes by splashing in plenty of wine.
If you want to keep it for longer, you can freeze the wine in ice-cube containers and then simply pop a few out when you're ready to use them.
The alcohol actually vaporises when heated so just the flavour remains in the dish. One more tip: marinate those boring, out of season strawberries in red wine with added spices such as a cinnamon stick and some nutmeg, along with a sprinkling of caster sugar. This is a French trick which makes even the blandest strawberry taste brilliant!
Most wine doesn't need to be kept for long. But if you like to buy by the case, or if fine wine is your passion, then storage is important. Wine is alive and can be 'killed' by handling it wrongly.
As a rule, remember that bottles need to be kept in the dark, away from vibration and at a constant temperature. This doesn't need to be particularly cold (up to 18°C is OK), but it shouldn't vary too much as corks expand and contract in changes of temperature, letting in air which can ruin your wine. If wine is exposed to too much air it will oxidise, spoiling the wine (known as 'corked').
The secret is to find a spot that will be undisturbed most of the time. A cupboard in an unheated spare room is better than a damp cellar which can encourage mould and mean all your labels peel off! In particular, if storing wines for more than a couple of months, it's worth using a wine rack so that the bottles lie horizontally. This keeps the cork moist and stops it from shrinking and letting in the damaging air.
Artificial corks, though not as good for the environment, eliminate the cork shrinkage problem. But unless you've bought a wine before, it's not usually possible to tell what sort of cork is in the bottle before you open it!
I've opened a bottle of wine and it's unfinished - how should I store it?
Finishing the bottle isn't a problem for most of us, but a hassle for some. The best way to store any wine you want to drink again is to put the half-empty bottle in the fridge. Yes, even for red wines. This has the effect of halting the ageing process in its tracks and avoiding excessive oxidation that comes from air contact, plus reducing any risk of contamination. The chilled wine will keep for about a week maximum, then should be ruthlessly poured away.
The only exception is fortified wine like sherry or dessert wine of 15% alcohol or more. These keep for up to a month and make a great choice for the chef in need of revival or inspiration - a small glass is the perfect stimulant! Note: wine boxes are the exception to these rules, as boxed wine can keep for a month or more thanks to the use of sophisticated valve technology. Though it is still a good idea to keep the box in the fridge. See instore or online for our selection of wine boxes.
Do all wines improve with age?
Definitely not. The days of winemakers producing wines for long cellaring are almost over. Market forces and new technology mean that wines tend to be fruity and drinkable from the day they are bottled. Wine producers sell wines they expect to be drunk within days, if not hours.
As a rule of thumb, any wine costing less than £8.99 per bottle is going to be in peak condition when you buy it. White wines can lose their freshness after a few months of home storage, and reds rarely improve. If a wine costs more than that, check with one of our expert wine advisors instore.
What is vegetarian wine?
Wines are often filtered (known as fined) to remove sediment following winemaking. This removes the haziness to create a clearer wine and it also makes the wine more stable and better for storing. Various agents are used during fining and vegetarian wines are those that use agents not derived from animal products.
Bentonite clay is normally used, but casein, which is extracted from milk or egg white, can also be used. Some wines are not fined at all and these again are suitablel for vegetarians.
