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Our Wineguide
Serving wine
The way a wine is served is a decisive factor in ensuring
that it will be fully appreciated
Basic principles
- White wine is served before red wine
- A light wine should be served before a robust one
- Wines should be served in order of increasing complexity
- Younger wines are usually served before older ones
Serving temperatures
- Red Bordeaux wines: 18°C (64°F)
- Red Burgundy wines: 16°C (61°F)
- Light red wines (Beaujolais): 14-16°C (58-61°F)
- Full bodied white wines: 10-12°C (50-54°F)
- Light white wines: 8-10°C
(46-50°F)
Very low temperatures
anaesthetize the taste buds.
Perception of sweetness
and alcohol increases with
higher temperatures.
Cold red wine tastes more
acid, bitter and astringent.
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The art of serving wine
- Use a waiter’s corkscrew with at least 5 turns
- Cut the cap below the bottle ring
- When the screw is completely inside the cork,
pull the cork out silently
- Fill the glasses one third full for a tasting
and half full for a meal
Decanting wine
- To eliminate sediment
- To aerate and develop its aromas
- All red wines should be decanted
- Old vintages, more delicate, more sensitive, should be treated with great care
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Bottle sizes
The most common bottle size is 75 cl.
You will also find:
- Avionetta: 18,7 cl
- Quarter bottle: 25 cl
- Half-bottle: 37,5 cl
- Magnum: 150 cl (2 bottles)
- Double magnum or Jeroboam: 3 L (4 bottles)
- Rehoboam: 4,5 L (6 bottles)
- Imperial or Mathusalem: 6 L (8 bottles)
- Salmanazar: 9 L (12 bottles)
- Balthazar: 12 L (16 bottles)
- Nabuchodonosor: 15 L (20 bottles)
- Melchior: 18 L (24 bottles)
Big formats are ideal for banquets and celebrations,
but rather difficult to serve... |
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Ideal ageing conditions
- Bottles must lay down
- Stable temperatures (12-14°C or 50-54°F)
- Humidity (70 to 85%)
- Darkness
- No vibration
- Well-ventilated cellar
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