In my time on the boats I learnt a lot about wines, not just how they tasted but how to match a good wine with a good meal or a wonderful cheese. I learnt what the best temperatures for storing and serving wines were, how to tell a bad bottle. There is so much to learn and I am going to give you a rundown.
We all know our favourite wines be it red or white and we all know that all good wines get better with age and therefore you have to store them. You cannot just bung it in the cupboard and hope to get it out in a year or so and hope it will be ready to drink. No you have to store it properly.
There are three factors to take into consideration: Light, temperature and humidity.
The area must be dark because sunlight will affect the wine by causing degredation of otherwise stable organic compounds. These compounds affect the taste and aroma of the wine.
The only reasons humidity is a factor in wine storage is the use of cork seals and the fact that they must be kept reasonably moist otherwise you end up with a very nasty corked wine! Also beacuse of ullage if you have a dry cork then you have more ullage.
The most important factor for storing and ageing a good wine is the temperature. The best temperature for storing wine is 55°F with a fluctuation of plus or minus 1°. This is deemed to be the "ideal" temperature from the French as they store their wine in the cave which is underground and is generally at the temperature of 13°c which is the equivalent of 55°F. Being the kings of wine everybody seems to follow in their footsteps.
Serving temperatures for wine can also affect the taste. A wine that is either too warm or too cold is not enjoyable. White wine is generally served chilled and Red wine at room temperature. Some people like to slightly chill a Red but this is more down to personal preference, it is not "the done thing" normally!
Generally White wines should be served at 13°c to 15°c and Red from 17°c to 18°c there is not much leverage in the Red because too warm and it will taste too acoholic and it will not be a pleasure to drink.
Once upon a time there was a general rule of Red wine for red meat and White wine for white meat but as our eating habits have changed it gets harder to match the wine with the food. There are many things to take into consideration the smell, the taste, the depth (meaning heavy or light).
As an example I have written one of our Menus from the boat and the wine served
Entrée
Salade Coquilles St Jaques
Plat principale
Boeuf Bourgignonne, Pomme de Terres Sautée, Asperge et Carotte Purée
Fromage
Epoisse et Comte
Desert
Moelleux aux Chocolat, Creme Anglaise
With this menu we would serve a selection of wine, for the starter a White wine as it is a fish course generally this would be a very light and not not overpowering wine , with a gentle taste of soft fruits to complement the salad. We served Auxey Duresses.
For the main course we would serve a well known Burgundy Pinot Noir as this is used in the sauce, you would serve this just for complementry reasons.
With the cheese you would serve another one of each as White complements the Comte but you must be careful to choose a very understated wine as the Comte has such a light taste as well you do not want to lose it. The Epoisse on the other hand has such a strong taste that not much can hide it, this cheese smells as strong as it tastes it is actually not allowed on public transport because it smells so bad! But apparently its the king of kings in the cheese world it is always served with Geverey Chambertin because that is how Napolean is said to have enjoyed it.
The dersert would be best enjoyed with a very fruity red wine which would complement the chocolate.
WHITE WINE AND FOOD MATCHES
Chardonnay: seafood with butter sauce, chicken, pasta with cream sauce, veal, turkey, ham, Emmenthal, Gruyeres, Port-Salut
Riesling: mild cheese, clams, mussels, Asian dishes, sashimi, ham, pork, lobster Newberg, Tandoori chicken, Coquilles St Jacques
Sauvignon Blanc: oysters, grilled or poached salmon, seafood salad, Irish stew, ham, chevre, goat cheese and strongly flavored cheeses, asparagus quiche
Gewurztraminer: spicy dishes, Thai food, curry, smoked salmon, pork and sauerkraut, Muenster, spiced/peppered cheeses, onion tart
RED WINE AND FOOD MATCHES
Cabernet Sauvignon: duck, spicy beef, pate, rabbit, roasts, spicy poultry, cheddar, blue cheese, sausage, kidneys
Pinot Noir: braised chicken, cold duck, rabbit, charcuterie, partridge, roasted turkey, roasted beef, lamb, veal, truffles, Gruyeres
Merlot: braised chicken, cold duck, roasted turkey, roasted beef, lamb, veal, stew, liver, venison, meat casseroles
Shiraz: braised chicken, chili, goose, meat stew, peppercorn steak, barbequed meat, spicy meats, garlic casserole, ratatouille
I hope this all helps you have many wonderful dinners.
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