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By Root 622 0

really improve the taste of the specified wine type? When comparatively tasting the same wine from two different glasses, I have found that the specially made glasses do showcase the scent of the indicated wine type—sometimes quite a lot. But investing in all these glasses takes resources—money and storage space, because the glasses themselves are often quite large and expensive—twenty-five to sixty-five dollars per stem. A good compromise is to target your selection. In my house, we use Riedel’s Burgundy/Pinot Noir and Bordeaux/Cabernet stems from the Vinum line for all of our reds.

THE CHAMPAGNE EXCEPTION

I do recommend one specialty wineglass shape. A flute or tulip is necessary for Champagne, because the elongated shape and narrower opening help to preserve the bubbles longer. The small capacity also means the contents won’t warm up quickly.

WINEGLASSES—HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU SPEND? No doubt about it, expensive crystal stems can be beautiful. But no amount of beauty is worth it if a broken glass would ruin your day or end a friendship. You can get good glasses with a fairly thin rim and ample size from places such as Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrel for less than ten dollars each. My all-purpose glass at home is glass (not crystal) from Riedel’s budget line, called Ouverture, in the Bordeaux shape, although I use it for everything. I also have a couple of larger finer crystal stems (red Bordeaux and Burgundy shapes) from Riedel’s Vinum line that cost about twenty-five dollars each. I wash all of these in the dishwasher, being careful to arrange them with space in between. Many fine wine retail shops sell these glasses, or you can order them from Wine Enthusiast or International Wine Accessories catalogs.

Wine Leftovers

Dealing with wine leftovers is easy, since your primary concern is to keep oxygen away from the wine.

Still Wines

For home and in restaurants, I use a hand-pump vacuum sealer. They are sold in the accessories catalogs mentioned above, in wine shops, and in kitchenware sections of department stores and specialty stores such as Bed, Bath and Beyond. You simply seal the bottle with a rubber stopper that has a one-way valve (you can buy extra stoppers). The plastic vacuum pump is then placed on top of the stopper; you pump the handle repeatedly until the resistance tightens, indicating much of the air has been pumped out of the bottle.

Refrigerate stoppered and pumped bottles, whether white, pink, or red. Refrigeration of anything slows the spoilage, and your red wine, once removed from the fridge and poured in the glass, will quickly come to serving temperature. If you do not have a vacuum sealer, or if you run out of stoppers (which can happen when you do a comparative tasting of several wines), recork the bottles and refrigerate, and they will last at least a day or two. (You can check my Wine Buying Guide for Everyone’s Kitchen Survivor™ grades for an indication of the freshness-longevity of leftovers of specific wines.)

Note: A few wine experts don’t think rubber stoppers work, but I have used them for years, particularly in my restaurants, where I have found they extended the life of bottles opened for by-the-glass service at least two days longer than just sealing with the original cork.

Another excellent option is preservation of partial bottles with inert gas. I recommend it especially when you are tasting more expensive wines. There are several brands available for purchase from wine accessories catalogs and wine shops—Wine Life and Private Preserve are two that I have used. These preservers come in a can that feels light, as if it’s empty. Inside is an inert gas mixture that is heavier than air. The can’s spray nozzle has a long strawlike extension that is inserted into the bottle. A one-second spray fills the empty bottle space with the inert gas, displacing the air inside, which is the key because no air in contact with the wine means no oxidation. Then you quickly replace the cork (make sure the fit is tight). My experience using gas systems in restaurants for very upscale wines by