Wine cellars are authentic shrines to collections of your favorite wine as you watch it reach its peak. To do it right, you need proper storage conditions. Although standalone wine storage units, coolers, and fridges work for a while, you need the appropriate insulation to turn a room or basement into a true cellar.
]]>Wine cellars are authentic shrines to collections of your favorite wine as you watch it reach its peak. To do it right, you need proper storage conditions. Although standalone wine storage units, coolers, and fridges work for a while, you need the appropriate insulation to turn a room or basement into a true cellar.
Insulation keeps a room at the right temperature, making sure it doesn’t get too hot or too cold. Insulation can also keep humidity levels in check and prevent air leaks. The right insulation can keep your wine undisturbed for years and decades.
Before discussing insulation options for wine cellars, let's talk about the famous R-value—the industry term for thermal resistance per area. In other words, it’s the insulation value of any given barrier or material.
Materials with high R-values have higher resistance to heat flow, meaning they’ll keep external heat from affecting a room’s temperature. For reference, air has an R-value of 0.87 per inch, which is a relatively low value. This number shows why you need insulation in the first place. Special materials (more on these below) have much higher R-values, allowing them to provide heat resistance as high as R-30.
For a wine cellar, insulation must have a minimum R-13. Ceilings, walls, and floors might need more or less insulation depending on the cellar's location, the material it’s built with, whether it features floor heating, and even your geographical location and local climate conditions. Assessing the required insulation—not only for insulating heat but also moisture—is no easy feat. It's best to have a professional cellar builder to take on the task.
Here are some popular insulation options for wine cellars, along with their pros and cons.
With an R-value of 13 per inch of thickness, fiberglass batt can achieve a resistance of R-32 when installed correctly. Fiberglass batt is often used to insulate the space between studs because it’s malleable enough to fill small crevices. Fiberglass batt is also lightweight, so it’s often used in ceilings tucked between ceiling joists. However, this material is not ideal for insulating floors, as it lacks the structural integrity of other alternatives.
Foam boards are a popular insulation alternative because they’re inexpensive and relatively easy to install. The somewhat rigid polystyrene boards can have a heat resistance of R-19 if thick enough, but you'll struggle to install them in crevices and around electrical or plumbing pipes. The gaps between foam boards can also become a problem in high-humidity environments, so installing them with thick vapor barriers is essential.
Polyurethane foam is the best insulation option in most cases. It will keep your cellar cool while preventing excess humidity. This unique foam expands 30 to 60 times when applied before hardening, creating ideal insulation for gaps, holes, and crevices. It also insulates the space around electric wiring and pipes. Used in conjunction with vapor barriers, polyurethane spray foam is the answer to most of your insulation needs. The foam can achieve an R-value of 19. But keep in mind that it compounds with the value of other materials, like the wall.
Vapor barriers differ from those described above since they deal with humidity insulation. Effective vapor barriers keep condensation and excess humidity at bay in wine cellars. Vapor barriers are thick plastic sheets, although more sophisticated versions exist, like those made with plastic and foil. All vapor barriers work the same way: they’re a physical barrier for water droplets suspended in the air. You must be meticulous when sealing seams and gaps during vapor barrier installation since humidity tends to find its way through.
Once you’ve determined the right insulation type for your cellar, it's time to consider a few other things. Insulation alone might not be enough to turn an average room into a state-of-the-art wine cellar. You should also consider ventilation, cooling, and measuring tools to ensure the cellar's temperature and humidity levels are adequate. After all, cooling systems are only effective if the cool air they produce is contained in the room. The doors, windows, and glass displays in your wine cellar are additional factors to consider. Things like a faulty door will offset the insulation benefits.
Building cellars is an art form. Although it’s an exciting hobby, you might need to talk to a professional before getting started. Every home is different, as are every homeowner’s wine needs. No two cellars are the same. But that’s the beauty of it, isn’t it?
No wine cellar is complete without a set of high-quality, functional glasses. The right glassware can elevate your wine-drinking experience, bringing out all the best flavor notes and aromas in every sip. Try our collection of mouth-blown Grassl glasses. Each Grassl glass is crafted with premium materials using the traditional mouth-blowing technique that has been used for centuries. You can get your own set today.
Adequate wine storage is essential to help your wine collection mature slowly, allowing it to reach its full potential. Although wine is resilient, it also has many enemies. Oxygen in the air, temperature, sunlight, fluorescent light, bacteria, and—one we rarely talk about—humidity all have the power to ruin a bottle of wine. Let's discuss the role of humidity in wine cellars and strategies to manage it so you can reduce the risk of spoiled wine.
Luckily, humidity is often the least of your problems when storing wine. Light, heat, and even vibration can damage wine more than moisture. However, humidity must be managed. After all, it’s one of the most important factors in wine storage.
Times have changed, and wine bottles are sealed better than ever. Corks are more dependable, and cork alternatives are equally effective. Humidity may not damage the wine itself, but it can damage the cork and the label on the bottle.
If humidity is too high, mold will grow in your cellar—which isn’t inherently dangerous. The world’s most exclusive underground cellars are moldy from the floor to the roof, like those in Burgundy. However, corks are made of organic matter, which can lose its integrity if they get too moist. If the cork is damaged, air will enter the bottle, and oxidation will ruin the wine.
High humidity will also deteriorate paper labels. After a few years, they’ll be impossible to read, making your collection unidentifiable. If humidity is too low, the cork might dry out, allowing air to ruin the wine. However, the labels will remain intact.
Most wine experts suggest maintaining relative humidity levels of 55% to 75% because they prevent corks from drying and shrinking. Anything below 50% is risky, and you'll start to see mold in your cellar if the humidity is above 75%.
Humidity is hard to control, as it varies between geographical locations. It also varies depending on the season, with weather significantly changing humidity levels. However, humidity fluctuations over short periods are nothing to worry about; it’s the long-term average humidity that matters more.
Hygrometers are advanced measuring tools that calculate the moisture content of air and its relative humidity level. These measurements can help you assess if your basement or another space is suitable for wine storage. A moisture meter is more effective for measuring humidity in specific materials, such as walls. For everyday monitoring, wall-mounted thermostats are a better option.
If you want to change a room's humidity level, you need a humidifier or a dehumidifier. If you need to use one, first consider if the cellar is located in the right place. Ideal storage locations for wine include basements and spandrels (the space under staircases). Standalone wine storage units are an excellent choice for large and small collectors alike. They're often equipped with humidity control systems.
Don't let humidity in your wine cellar stress you out. Humidity matters, but maintaining the temperature and reducing light exposure are more important. Unless you live in a tropical and subtropical climate, humidity won't threaten your wine collection. But if you notice mold and suspect the corks protecting your wine have been compromised, you should adjust the humidity level. This simple step will keep your wine cellar in good condition so you can reap the rewards of well-aged wine.
Be sure to invest in high-quality glassware so you can enjoy your favorite bottles of red, white, rosé, and sparkling wine as they’re intended. Grassl glasses strike the perfect balance between elegance and functionality, making them fit for any occasion. Browse the Grassl collection today to discover your match.
When wine isn’t acidic enough, we say it tastes dull, and dull wines are rarely considered high quality. Acidity in wine is not only encouraged but also expected. It’s unavoidable. Let's discuss how acidity affects wine's taste and why it matters.
]]>When wine isn’t acidic enough, we say it tastes dull, and dull wines are rarely considered high quality. Acidity in wine is not only encouraged but also expected. It’s unavoidable. Let's discuss how acidity affects wine's taste and why it matters.
Wine is made with grapes, which are naturally acidic. Grapes are made mostly of water, sugar, and acids—specifically tartaric and malic acid—with small amounts of citric acid. The acids in the grapes develop over time during the growing season, but the grapes lose some of the acid as they ripen (malic acid is used during the vine's respiration).
White wine is more acidic than red wine, with pH levels of 1-3 pH. That’s because white grapes are harvested earlier in the season. Red wine has an acidity of 3-5 pH. For reference, water has a neutral acidity of 7 pH.
Grapes grown in cold climates have more acidity, as warmth promotes the fruit's sugar development while reducing its acidic content. Grapes grown in warm regions are often harvested with deficient acidity levels, but acidity in wine is so important that producers add tartaric acid to their wines to rectify it.
Warmth promotes ripeness and sweetness, so finding the right balance between warm and cold is essential to crafting high-quality wines. It's easy to see why some of the world's finest wines are made with grapes grown in places with warm days and cold nights, where grapes ripen fully while maintaining their acidity.
Altitude also plays a role in wine's acidity. To achieve acceptable acidity levels, producers try to plant their vineyards at higher altitudes, where the nights are colder, while ensuring sufficient sunlight.
Not all grapes produce the same amounts of acidity, even if the climate is the same. Some grapes are more tart than others in the same way specific varietals accumulate more sugar. Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc are some of the best-known grapes with naturally high acidity levels. Grapes that struggle with acidity include Zinfandel and Gewürztraminer.
Wine is compatible with food because of its acidity. Low-acid wines are easily overwhelmed by even the mildest of foods. On the other hand, acidity counters fat in various foods. That’s why rich, fatty meals taste better after cleansing the palate with a sip of wine.
Acidity also contrasts with sweetness. Desserts that would otherwise be cloying will appear balanced when paired with tart wine. We often find sweetness in savory foods, like ribs, glazed chicken, and certain sauces; these subtly sweet meals also benefit from an acidic wine pairing.
Fried food is delicious when served with tart wine, as is seafood. As a rule, food that benefits from a squirt of lime, lemon, or vinegar -- including salads -- will also benefit from acidic wines. On the other hand, creamy sauces and starchy dishes aren’t particularly compatible with acidic wine since acidity cuts through dairy.
Acidic white wines include those made with Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Albarinho, to mention a few. Champagne is among the tartest of wines, making it universally compatible with most foods. Acidic red wines include those made with Pinot Noir, Gamay, Sangiovese, and Barbera, among others.
Low-acid wines include those made with Semillon, Gewürztraminer, Marsanne, Viognier, and sometimes Chardonnay from warm climates. Low-acid red wines include New World Merlot, Malbec, and Zinfandel.
Assessing wine's acidity is part of the wine-tasting experience. However, using the proper glassware to enjoy the wine's properties is recommended. Grassl's mouth-blown, artisan wine glasses are designed to enhance the wine's organoleptic properties, making the wine look, smell, and taste better.
The size and shape of the wine glass influence how we perceive the wine's bouquet, while smooth edges and a lightweight body make sipping wine more attractive. The thinner the crystal, the nicer the mouthfeel. And for acidity, mouthfeel is everything.
Tannins are unique molecules in nature. They're all around us, even in plants. Tannins are also present in some fruits, such as red grapes, which means they end up in wine. Tannins play a critical role in wine tasting, as they’re one of the most significant characteristics of red wine.
]]>Tannins are phenolic biomolecules with a unique property: they bind to proteins. This property gave tannins their name. They’re used to tan animal hides to create leather. This tanning effect is also why red wine pairs well with proteins, like juicy stakes—but more about that in a minute. Let's talk about what tannins are, how to identify them, and why they matter.
Sometimes called tannic acid or tannoids, tannins are not human-caused; they exist in tree bark, leaves, roots, veggies, and fruits. Red wine often contains tannins, but so do tea, chocolate, and many other foods, including rhubarb and apples. It’s believed that plants developed tannins through the ages to prevent animals from eating them. After all, tannins taste astringent and cause a drying effect on the tongue and palate.
Tannins exist in wine because they exist in grapes, specifically in grape skins. Although even white grapes contain some tannins, red grapes are much more tannic. The tannins are assimilated into the liquid during the maceration and fermentation steps of the winemaking process. Interestingly, grape skins aren’t the only source of tannins in wine. All plant matter that comes in contact with the wine contributes some tannins, including the stems of the grape clusters and the oak barrels used to age the wine.
When tasting wine, tannins are easy to identify on the palate, as they bind with the proteins in our saliva, tongue, palate, gums, and cheeks, causing a drying sensation. Unlike acidity, which we get used to after a couple of sips, tannins build up in your mouth. As a result, tannins are astringent from the first glass to the last drop.
Tannins give structure and body to the wine, which is why tannic wines are robust. They also protect the wine from oxidation, as they’re natural antioxidants. Wines meant to age for a long time are usually tannic. Of course, this means wines destined to be cellared for years and even decades are often too tannic to be enjoyed during their first few years. The good news? Tannins precipitate over time, making the wine more palatable as it creates sediments.
Red wine contains more tannins than white wine because white grape skins contain fewer tannins. However, there are exceptions. White wine aged in oak barrels gains tannins from the barrels themselves. Orange wine—which is white wine macerated for long periods—also accumulates noticeable tannins from the grape skins.
Not all red wines are equally tannic. Some grapes—like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carménère, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Nebbiolo—are famous for their tannic intensity. On the other side of the spectrum, some red grapes are often subtly tannic, like Pinot Noir and Gamay.
Tannins are natural, and they're naturally pleasing; they also protect wine and help it age well. However, tannins can be overwhelming for inexperienced wine drinkers. After all, there's nothing natural about the drying sensation they cause in your mouth. Learning to enjoy tannins is part of your wine adventure, so it’s best to embrace them.
Whether you prefer red or white, wine is best enjoyed in the right glassware. Our Grassl collection features traditionally mouth-blown glasses made with the highest quality materials available. If you want to get the most enjoyment out of your next bottle, grab a few glasses to get started.
The term seasonal wine has been around for some time. Although no wine is meant to be served strictly in a specific season, the idea works. Knowing which wines are best enjoyed in cold or warm weather can take your hosting skills to the next level.
]]>The term seasonal wine has been around for some time. Although no wine is meant to be served strictly in a specific season, the idea works. Knowing which wines are best enjoyed in cold or warm weather can take your hosting skills to the next level.
What makes a wine seasonal? There's no easy answer to this question. We all like different things. Is there such a thing as seasonal food? Of course there is, but we can't simply say roasted turkey is tastier during the winter holidays than in spring or that pumpkin pie isn't delicious in summer. However, we have conventions and consider some foods more compatible with some seasons than others. More often than not, we enjoy calorie-rich food in cold weather and lighter food in spring and summer.
Wine can also be seasonal. What matters most is asking if the wine is refreshing and light, making it ideal for warm seasons, or comforting and heartwarming, just what you want to sip in the coldest months.
While chilly weather may still linger in spring, you can start to feel the warmth coming. This means you can enjoy both refreshing wines and richer ones. Spring is also the season of peas, asparagus, artichokes, and tender carrots. This colorful spring menu invites light-bodied white wines with tart profiles, like Sauvignon Blanc and Alvarino, and tangy options, like cranberry-scented rosé.
Summer calls for refreshing, even thirst-quenching, wines. Light-bodied red wines like Beaujolais and Pinot Noir will do the trick if served chilled, but summer is the time for ice-cold white wine and fizzy, bubbly wine. For white wines, look for unoaked wines fermented in stainless steel. Remember: the younger the better. Varietals for summer include Pinot Grigio, Trebbiano, and Chenin Blanc.
When the temperature drops and the leaves fall, it's time to prepare for winter. Fall is all about gathering around the table with family and friends. Harvest festivals worldwide and Thanksgiving in the United States make fall a festive season. Fall calls for gastronomic wines, those that perform best with food—like Pinot Noir and oaked Chardonnay. These wines are comforting, easy to drink, and pair well with buttery and roasted foods typical of the season.
Food in winter is opulent and fatty. The wine paired with it should also be caloric. Here's where big, bold red wines come in. End dinner with a glass of sweet, fortified wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, and many other full-bodied grapes will keep you warm and satisfied throughout the season.
Now that you know how to choose the right wine for every season, it’s time to choose the right glassware to enjoy it in. Whether you’re serving heartwarming wine in winter or refreshing sippers in summer, the right wine glasses will enhance the wine's flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel.
Grassl's artisan mouth-blown glassware is made with high-quality crystal and is designed to elevate your wine-tasting experience no matter the time of year. Explore our wine glass selection, and complete your collection with our best-selling decanters, carafes, and accessories. From red and white to fizzy and deliciously sweet, wine tastes better from the right glassware. What’s your favorite season for drinking wine?
Whether you enjoy varietal wines or exciting blends, you can unleash your wine's full potential by enjoying them in fine glassware. Grassl is one of the few producers worldwide crafting mouth-blown crystal wine glasses. Authentic artisan pieces are designed to satisfy the most discerning wine enthusiasts. Explore our glassware collection if you haven't already.
Varietal wines are made with a single type of grape, also called a varietal. In most countries, producers are legally required to use a single grape for at least 80% of the wine to label it as such. Varietal wines are nothing new. Many traditional European wine regions produce a single grape, like the French Beaujolais and its Gamay or Burgundy and Pinot Noir (for their reds). However, naming the varietal on the label wasn't common until recently.
Other classic wine regions have always labeled their wines according to the grape used to make them, like Germany and the German-influenced Alsace in France. Wine producers in the New World also preferred to label their wines for their grapes, mainly to help an inexperienced market distinguish one bottle from another.
Nevertheless, not all wines are varietals. There are dozens of wine styles made with a combination of grapes, including Champagne, Bordeaux, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and Rioja. Blends are as typical as varietal wines, and they're equally charming. So what's the difference?
To understand the difference between varietal wines and blends, let's cover the most typical wines in each category. It takes work to make wine with a single varietal. After all, wine is a complex beverage that should be balanced in terms of acidity, alcohol, sweetness (or lack thereof), and mouthfeel.
Few red grapes produce balanced wine consistently without the help of auxiliary grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Malbec are the most common varietals bottled independently. However, France is one of many sources of well-rounded grapes. Italy has Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Aglianico, and many others that are typically bottled as varietals.
White grapes can also be bottled as varietals, provided they have the complexity and acidity needed to make a balanced wine. Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Trebbiano, Albarinho, and Muscat are some of them.
Wine blends exist for several reasons. For starters, the vineyards weren't planted with a single varietal in the early days. Field blends were the only way to make wine, which resulted in wines that expressed the land well, even if made with a combination of grapes of all profiles and colors.
Blending grapes became a type of insurance in some regions, most notably Bordeaux. Since varietals ripen at different stages, planting distinct varietals ensured some varietals would survive even if rain and hail damaged one grape's crop.
Finally, blending grapes is a smart way of combining them to result in something greater than the sum of its parts. Some grapes are naturally tart while others have high pigments and tannins. Some grapes bring roundness to the table, while others provide structure. Producers can craft complex and balanced wines by reliably blending wines made with different grapes.
Notable wine blends include the Champagne blend—especially the combination of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to make sparkling wine—the GSM blend (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre) used in Côtes du Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Paso Robles, and the Bordeaux blend—made of any combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.
So, what's better: a pure-breed varietal wine or a creative blend? They can be equally enjoyable, and there's no reason you shouldn't enjoy both. However, you can learn different things from each.
Varietal wines offer the unique opportunity of tasting a grape on its own and learning from it. Doing so repeatedly will help you identify wines on taste alone. After all, wine made with Cabernet tastes nothing like wine made with Pinot Noir. Varietal wines also show how the grapes behave in different climates and soils. On the other hand, varietal wines lack the complexity of blends and can fall short in terms of acidity, tannins, or aromatic complexity if the grapes aren't balanced.
Blends are like blank canvases for creativity. Producers can blend different grapes to achieve exciting results, compensating one grape's weakness with another and compounding their strengths. Aromatically, blends tend to be more complex. When done right, they're perfectly balanced in all aspects. On the downside, blends tend to be more manipulated than varietal wines, so they don't offer the same clarity in terms of terroir. They can be more influenced by the winemaker than the land. Do you prefer varietal wines or blends? Which wines are your favorite?
Most of the wine in the market today is dry. The ones that aren't are considered specialty wines, like dessert and sparkling wine. Table wine is dry; that's the standard. But this wasn't always the case. In fact, sweet, fortified wine dominated the wine market for centuries. Before that, it’s likely that wine in antiquity wasn't dry either. Dry wine is typical today but is a modern wine style, primarily because it's difficult to make.
Dryness in wine refers to the lack of sugar. Precisely, the lack of residual sugar after fermentation. All wine starts as sweet grape juice; yeast turns the sugar in the juice into alcohol. If all goes well, the yeast leaves little to no residual sugar left in the fermentation vat. The wine is now dry.
Of course, fermentation is now a science, but it was once unexplainable, an act of nature. Sometimes it went well, sometimes it didn't. It took thousands of years to perfect the techniques and equipment to ferment wine to dryness consistently, including using efficient yeast strains and temperature-controlled vats. The question is, if most wine is dry, why does it taste sweet?
Sweetness is perceived on the tongue and palate. It's a basic taste, along with sour, bitter, salty, and savory. Think about it this way: you can recognize that some perfumes smell sweet. But if you taste them, you won’t notice any sweetness. That's because our minds believe sweet and fruity aromas come from sweet-tasting food. We're hard-wired to find carbohydrates with all our senses.
In the case of wine, what was once sweet juice has become sweet-smelling wine that’s often dry. All wines have sweet bouquets, and they all offer fruit aromas. But if they don't contain noticeable amounts of sugar, the wine will taste dry.
A second misconception about dry wines is that they’re more alcoholic than sweet-tasting wines. Although sugar and alcohol content are related, other factors—including the weather, grapes used, and the hand of the winemaker—play more significant roles in determining wine's alcohol content.
Dry wine comes in all colors and styles. Most wine regions worldwide, with some exceptions, specialize in dry wine production. Dry wine is in vogue. How do you know if a bottle of wine contains dry or sweet wine?
Since it's expected to be dry, table wine won't say much about its residual sugar content on the label. However, if the wine is off-dry, semi-sweet, or downright luscious, the producer will mention it front and center with terms like sweet or deux.
Red wine is primarily dry unless it’s fortified. If it’s fortified, it’s probably sweet. The famous grapes you find everywhere—including Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Merlot—produce dry wines. There are always exceptions. Producers in Germany make interesting off-dry red wines with Dornfelder, and Italians have their sweet, red, and fizzy Lambrusco, amongst others.
Sweet white wine is more common. Grapes like Muscat in all their forms often produce wine with a certain amount of sweetness. However, most white wine is also dry, even if sweet-smelling. We can say the same about rosé. The finest pink wines in the world are bone dry, but sweet specialties are everywhere.
Sutter Home and other commercial, entry-level brands often leave residual sugar in their wines to appeal to a broader audience. However, even industry professionals appreciate a glass of sweet wine now and then. Dry wine is not, by any means, better than sweet wine.
The term dry for sparkling wine doesn't mean it isn’t sweet. Dry sparkling wine usually contains between 17 and 32 grams of sugar per liter. As a reference, anything below 3 grams is considered dry.
Do you enjoy dry wine? Or are you more into sweet specialties? Or maybe, like most wine lovers, you like the palate dry and the nose lusciously sweet. Either way, enjoy your favorite wine in Grassl's mouth-blown, artisan glassware for the best experience. If you thought sweetness in wine mattered, wait until you experience wine from proper wine glasses.
]]>But we have good news. Not all wine styles are counterfeited very often. Inexpensive and moderately priced wine is rarely worth falsifying. There's a good chance the wine you enjoy is authentic. However, if you’re a wine collector or enjoy premium wine often—especially from older vintages—you should know about fake wine and how people fall for it.
Wine fraud can take many forms. At a winery level, wine producers can mislabel their wine or fake its provenance, filling their bottles with something less prestigious—whether it’s wine from a less favorable site or made with less distinguished grapes. Governments oversee producers in wine appellations and sometimes even test the wine to ensure its authenticity. However, with millions of wineries worldwide making wine at the same time of year, it's impossible to know what everyone does behind closed doors.
Adulteration is the most common type of wine fraud at the retail level. It consists of partially or totally refilling wine bottles with something other than what the label says. In the best-case scenario, they’re filled with cheaper wine. Adulteration is particularly dangerous for the risk of consuming harmful chemicals, like the bad type of alcohol. Thankfully, adulterated bottles are often easy to spot. After all, high-quality wine is sealed, and bottles tampered with are usually easy to spot. To prevent this type of fraud, purchase wine from reputable sources, and never accept opened bottles at restaurants.
Counterfeiting is a much more sophisticated type of wine fraud. In this scenario, the counterfeiter sells fake wine, sometimes re-purposing or reprinting labels or using authentic empty bottles. Investigating the wine's provenance is usually the best way to spot a counterfeit. If you bought yours from someone's car trunk, you probably already know the wine is fake. But if you purchase counterfeit wine from a reputable source, like a well-known merchant or auction house, there's a good chance you'll be fooled.
A third indirect type of wine fraud involves wine investment firms. These schemes are not dissimilar to any corporate or financial scam. The difference is the perpetrators rely on your passion for wine to hook you in. Remember, there's no such thing as free money. If an investment opportunity sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Undoubtedly, the most famous recent wine fraud involves Rudy Kurniawan, a wine expert who became good friends with influential people known for enjoying exclusive and rare wine. Mr. Kurnaiwan's plan was meticulous. He effectively opened the doors to the elite world of fine wine by purchasing millions of dollars worth of wine at auction and selling it to his friends.
With empty bottles of expensive wine piling up, Mr. Kurniawan began to recondition and refill them, only to sell them again. Mr. Kurniawan got greedy when he started selling wine that had never existed in the first place, including a few Domaine Ponsot bottles. Mr. Ponsot himself called him out, and he was arrested soon after.
Another interesting wine fraud case is known as Brunellopoli. Producers in Brunello di Montalcino allegedly added wine made with unauthorized grapes to their blends. Brunello is famous for being (supposedly) 100% Sangiovese.
Wine fraud isn't rare, either. In 2021, Vincent Lataste, a wine merchant in Bordeaux, was sentenced to a year in jail for selling mislabeled wine. Several estates were involved in the drama. We know about this case because he was caught. But how many cases have gone unnoticed?
Wine fraud is something to be aware of, but it shouldn't change your wine-drinking habits. Wine scandals only make the systems to prevent fraud stronger. Auction houses, for example, will now double-check the wine's provenance before putting it up for sale. Besides, sophisticated techniques are used to spot counterfeit wine, including inspecting the wine label under a microscope and using UV light. The light makes paper printed after the 1950s glow.
However, you don't need special equipment to determine if a bottle of doubtful origin is original. Looking for inconsistencies in the bottle and cork is essential. Are the stains on the label natural, or were they printed? And how about the cork? Does it have the winery's logo?
Finally, well-aged wine looks old. Expect sediments, a copper or brick hue, a stained cork, and less liquid than normal due to evaporation. And of course, buy wine from a reliable source to avoid purchasing a counterfeit bottle.
Unsurprisingly, people go to great lengths to adulterate and counterfeit fine wine; after all, few things in life are more pleasurable than a glass of the good stuff, and people are very passionate about it. Where there’s passion, there are irrational decisions.
To make the most out of real Brunello, authentic Napa Cab, and true Burgundy, you must enjoy it from the right glassware. Grassl wines, artisan mouthblown pieces, are designed to elevate the experience of drinking your legitimate wine collection.
]]>Only a small percentage of wine increases in value over time, and this type of wine is pretty expensive in the first place. To make money selling wine, you’ll first need to spend money collecting it. Ideally, you would have already started years ago.
]]>Only a small percentage of wine increases in value over time, and this type of wine is pretty expensive in the first place. To make money selling wine, you’ll first need to spend money collecting it. Ideally, you would have already started years ago.
But let’s say you have a reputable collection of fine wine. Then what? Well, there are plenty of reasons for wanting to sell it. But how much is it worth? Here’s how to tell how much your wine is worth.
You may be getting to a stage in your life when you want to start cashing in on your wine investment. Or you inherited an interesting collection of wine and don’t care much about it. Even if you do, wine only lasts for a while. If you’re not drinking it all, why not sell it to someone who will?
Or what if you started collecting wine styles you loved when you were younger, but your palate has changed since then? Perhaps you want something different and need to make room in your cellar for other wine styles. This happens more often than you think. Whatever the case, you want to sell your wine. But how much is it worth?
Know your wine. Make a list of the wine you want to sell, including the producer, grape variety, bottle size, and vintage. Consider making note of the importer or distributor named on the back label, which will help you trace back your wine. Take thorough inventory.
Look around for your wine, including online. Websites like Wine-Searcher and CellarTracker are reliable sources of global market prices for current and vintage wines. Several software companies, like Cellar Watch and Binwise, have developed alternatives to upload and track your cellar, giving you better control over your collection. Don’t focus on the higher or lower price points for any given wine; instead, average them.
There are several options for selling wine. The same websites and software used to track wine prices are often fine wine markets themselves, so putting your wine for sale only takes a few clicks. Online marketplaces are ideal for small collections and individual wine bottles. At the same time, auction houses will happily help you allocate a more extensive, exclusive collection, especially if you’ve amassed a few rare gems. Auctions are better alternatives for selling collections in bulk while online marketplaces handle individual bottle sales better.
There are other ways to sell fine wine; for example, consignment companies are rising. Explore the services Collectible Fine Wine in Sonoma provides, and see what they can do for you. You may even lend your collection to fine-dining restaurants, which will result in high selling prices that will maximize the value of your collection.
Although there’s certainly a market for fine wine, it’s not a fast-moving one, so be patient and wait for the right buyer.
Ways to sell the wine will also vary. If you send wine to auction, your sale timeline could be faster but at a lower total price after adding fees and depending on the auction market at that time. Consignment is slower but likely maximizes your net gain on sale, and a bulk sale to a cellar broker can be a great blend of best execution and speed.
Be prepared for an inspection of your bottles, which may include opening some of them to give the buyer an idea of how well you (or someone else) has cared for the bottles as they look for provenance clues. Bottles being rejected shouldn’t be viewed as a personal affront to you; just accept the fact that not all bottles are eligible for sale. Open those and enjoy them yourself.
Transport will be individually evaluated by the buyer.
]]>Interestingly, the complexity of the wine world makes collecting it difficult, especially when you’re just getting started. Here’s how to get started in wine collecting, including tips and best practices to add value to your collection. After all, collecting wine is more than a hobby; it’s a lifestyle.
The first thing to consider when collecting wine is your purpose. Why do you want to collect wine? If you’re looking at wine collecting as an investment, know that—like with any investment—the wine market is risky, so don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
If you’re collecting wine because you’re passionate about it, then by all means, invest in your collection responsibly and watch your collection grow. However, no matter how expensive or famous a bottle of wine is, remember wine is meant to be drunk. Every bottle decays over time, so you don’t want to sit on your collection indefinitely.
Collecting wine differs from maintaining a wine cellar. Cellaring wine for immediate or future consumption doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a collector. Wine collections have value for others, whereas your typical wine cellar is often valuable solely for the owner, even if it’s made entirely of inexpensive wine.
Your budget and storage space will also determine the size of your collection and the types of wine you collect. There’s no right or wrong answer, especially if you’re building a collection for your personal enjoyment.
Wine collections are personal; they say something about you. Therefore, the best place to start building a collection is by looking for wine styles you enjoy from producers you respect. These purchases have nothing to do with the wines you often purchase for everyday enjoyment. Consider these bottles as wine for special occasions.
Typically, you’ll want to track your collection, its market value, and its rarity. Therefore, you should focus on typical wine from classic wine regions, especially those focusing on the production of age-worthy wine.
Classic wine regions with collectible value include:
With that said, many other wine regions worldwide have spectacular, cellar-worthy wines with a market for them. And there are always talented producers in lesser-known wine regions whose wines are worth collecting, too.
The vintage matters. Remember that even the most famous wineries have bad vintages when the weather conditions refuse to help. This means even the exact wine from the same producer can have a different value from distinct vintages. You can find vintage guides for the most famous regions online.
Once you know the types of wine you want to collect, it’s time to start stocking your cellar. There’s nothing wrong with buying wine at your local liquor store, but the higher you go in the supply chain, the cheaper the wine will be. Its provenance will also be more reliable.
Nothing beats purchasing wine straight from the producer. In fact, for many high-end wines, there’s no other option than subscribing to their mailing list and hoping you get your hands on a few cases (the secondary market for these wines can be brutal). However, reliable wine merchants—like Berry Bros. & Rudd and K&L Wine Merchants—are good alternatives for fine wine. Auction houses are great sources of rare wine, often old vintages from prestigious producers. Of course, the rarer the wine, the more expensive it will be.
No matter how and where you get your wine, if you save all the documentation and take measures to prevent purchasing counterfeit or stolen wine, you’re on the right path.
We can’t talk about collecting wine without mentioning the way you store it. Wine storage is as important as the wine itself. Make sure you have a dedicated wine storage system, whether it’s a wine fridge or an underground cave, that keeps the wine cool and away from heat and light.
Low temperatures—as low as 50°F—encourage low and slow maturation, increasing the life of your wine collection. Warmer temperatures will accelerate their decay. Having said that, all wines peak at some point, and all wines turn into vinegar eventually. Share your wine collection with your loved ones while you can, or risk being stuck with a cellar filled with a beautiful batch of vinaigrette.
Now, suppose you want to become a serious collector. You should store your wine at a dedicated warehouse. There are many of them globally that specialize in keeping wine in the ideal conditions. This strategy will also maintain the value of your wine since no one can say it was mishandled or stored poorly. The downside? What’s the point of collecting wine if you can’t see your precious collection every day?
Don’t collect wine if you plan on making money because you probably won’t. However, wine can be a great way of protecting your wealth from inflation. And, unlike other investments, you can still drink that delicious wine if things don’t go your way.
]]>Wine clubs offer unique shared experiences, meaning plenty of learning opportunities for yourself and others. The question is, do you have what it takes to start a wine club? Let’s talk about starting a small-budget wine club, how it works, and why they’re so much fun.
Wine clubs vary. Some are virtual, using tools like Zoom or Google Meet, while others take place in restaurants or wine stores. We’ll cover what it’s like starting a wine club at home.
So, how do wine clubs work? People get together to taste the same wine and discuss it. The result is an immersive learning opportunity and a fun time. The best part? You don’t need to be a wine expert to be part of a wine club or even organize your own; you only need a passion for fermented grape juice.
When starting a wine club, selecting your guests is the first thing to consider. Who do you want to invite?
When you’re starting, inviting close friends, family, and a few plus-ones is best. You want to avoid opening your wine club to strangers on your first try. Of course, the number of guests matters, too. If this is your first wine club meeting, keep it simple and invite up to six to ten people. Remember you’ll need equipment, glassware, learning material, and perhaps some food for everyone. And, of course, you’ll also need enough wine!
Most wine clubs are thematic. You’ll taste wines from the same grape, producer, vintage, country, or region to learn more about it. You can change the theme every week. Once you choose the wine, the most common activity in wine clubs is methodical wine tasting, in which you inspect, smell, and taste the wine consciously, followed by discussion and sometimes dinner.
You can do several things after every meeting to make your wine club meetings more dynamic.
Wine doesn’t have to be expensive to be interesting. There are countless low- and mid-range wines worth tasting. Focus on typicity, tasting classic wines for the most famous wine regions. Learn all about the classics before tasting less-common wines.
Now all wine clubs have to end with a dinner party. Food is only sometimes necessary. However, you might want to offer at least white bread and crackers for the wine tasters to cleanse their palates between wine types. Also, have plenty of water on the table.
Use the proper glassware for the different wine styles. Pool resources if needed to purchase glassware for white, red, and sparkling wine. Fine glassware will elevate the wine-tasting experience while bringing the best in the wine in terms of aroma and flavor. Grassl Glasses are a fantastic alternative.
Don’t overpour. Tasting wine is different from drinking it. 2-3 ounce pours are more than enough to taste wine, meaning you can pour wine for up to ten guests with a single standard bottle.
Have products like a spittoon or even plastic cups for those who wish to monitor their consumption.
Pair wine and food. Food can play a significant role in your wine club meetings. Food and wine pairings are much more exciting than regular wine tastings. However, you’ll have to consider the food pairings for each wine style. Luckily, we’ve covered wine and food pairing strategies in previous articles.
Embrace the power of groups. Getting together to taste wine is more than a group activity; it’s also an opportunity to taste better wines at a lower cost. If your group is large enough and you pool your resources, you might get access to bulk wine orders and discounts. Even extravagant wines are accessible when purchased by many.
Promote your wine club and watch it grow. Build a community of like-minded people, and take it to the next level by taking tours to wine regions or visiting fine dining restaurants together. The sky’s the limit!
]]>Although having an underground cellar in your home is every wine lover’s dream, most of us have to settle for more convenient wine storage alternatives, like wine fridges. The question is, how do you choose the right one? Well, it depends because we all have different needs. However, a few key tips can help you select the right wine fridge. Here are the best wine fridges for storing your wine.
Wine is best enjoyed at cool room temperatures, so storing it near its ideal serving temperature makes sense. Wine fridges do just that—keep wine cool for optimal enjoyment.
But wine fridges are more than just coolers; they preserve the wine’s integrity. Low temperatures cause the wine to evolve slowly, preventing it from peaking and decaying too fast. This might not be all that important for everyday wines you’ll enjoy during the weekend, but it is critical for storing wine long-term.
A wine fridge is convenient for both small and large wine collections and adds a wine theme to your home décor. A suitable wine fridge is more than an appliance; it’s a testament to your passion for wine.
So, what’s the difference between a wine fridge and a regular kitchen fridge? Kitchen refrigerators keep food at a steady 40°F in a cold and dry environment (too cold and dry for wine). Wine refrigerators are often warmer and don’t keep moisture away, keeping wine at an ideal 50-60°F range.
There are many types of wine storage units, and the way they work varies. They also come in all shapes and sizes, so there’s no best wine fridge out there. There’s only the best model for you and your needs.
Below you’ll find five reliable wine fridge models from brands we’ve found to be faithful. This doesn’t mean there aren’t better alternatives out there, but these will give you an idea of what to look for, whether you’re looking for a small unit, a large fridge, or an under-counter solution.
EuroCave Pure L Dual Zone Wine Cellar
For professional collectors and those looking to build a respectable collection, the Eurocave Pure L is amongst the best on the market. The brand is well known, with both restaurants and collectors relying on it. The system’s dual zone allows for red and white wine storage, with 170 standard Bordeaux Bottles capacity. This wine fridge is also beautiful, especially for a stand-alone option.
Wine Enthusiast VinoView L 145 Smart Wi-Fi Dual Zone Wine Cellar
Wine Enthusiast’s brand of wine fridges is competitive and less expensive than other popular brands. These models, like the Wi-Fi Dual Zone, are smart and incredibly spacey. An inverter compressor keeps the unit cool and quiet, and the alternating racks allow for various bottle shapes. This unit is ideal if you’re on a budget and you have a varied wine collection.
This little guy holds 30 bottles and keeps them cold behind two tempered glasses encased in a stainless-steel unit. The fast-cooling compressor is quiet and energy-efficient, and the racks are easy to remove for maintenance checks. The small unit can also reach surprisingly low temperatures of up to 41°F, which is ideal for storing even sparkling wine at service temperature.
Lanbo Single Zone Large Wine Cabinet
This massive wine fridge holds up to 289 standard Bordeaux bottles, all neatly arranged in elegant wood racks behind tempered glass. The rest is stainless steel. This 196-pound monster can hold entire collections and preserve them with high efficiency. It’s also less pricey than smaller models from better-known brands.
Summit 36" Under-counter Dual Zone Wine Cooler
Luxury doesn’t always mean expensive, and that’s what you get with brands like Summit: high-quality materials, excellent functionality, and a lovely design. The 36-inch dual zone cooler is an under-counter unit with two doors and space for 68 standard bottle sizes. You can adjust the temperature of each zone with its digital controls.
Storing wine is different for everyone. The space available, the size of your collection, and even the climate determine what’s best for you. Nevertheless, the tips below should serve you in all cases.
Size matters. Bigger is not always better. Consider your drinking habits and the scope of your wine collection before purchasing a storage unit. Too small, and you’ll need to replace it too soon; too large, and you’ll waste space and energy.
The right racks for you. Not everyone talks about this, but many cellars have static wine racks, which are troublesome to clean and maintain. Look for wine fridges with rolling shelves. Of course, the rolling racks sometimes scratch the bottles’ labels on the shelf below, so keep that in mind.
Not all bottles are the same. One of the newbie wine collector’s biggest mistakes is not considering the size and shape of the bottles they plan to collect. Burgundian bottles have a larger punt and don’t always fit in all racks. The same goes for sparkling wine bottles. Bordeaux-style bottles are easier to handle as they’re slimmer. The capacity of a wine fridge is different for all types of bottles but is generally quoted in Bordeaux bottles. Reduce that figure by up to 20% for odd bottles or larger shapes like Turley, SQN, and Champagnes.
Stand-alone or built-in. Built-in wine fridges are truly beautiful, as they blend seamlessly into your decor. However, they’re not always possible; they’re more costly, and you can’t easily take them with you if you move. On the other hand, stand-alone units can be bulky and take up too much space.
Number of zones. Some wine fridges have a single storage section while others have two distinct zones, allowing you to store different wine bottles at different temperatures. You might want a dual-zone fridge if you collect similar amounts of red and white wine.
Do your research. Although the size and look of wine fridges are essential, you should also look into their stats to determine their true worth. Things like the unit’s rating (r-rating), or insulation, and its mechanism, whether a compressor or a thermoelectric system are important. These are complex appliances after all, so ensure your unit has the right specs. The good news? Most wine fridges from reputable brands work like a charm, and you need not worry too much about the technical stuff.]]>Wine glasses come in all shapes and sizes. There are a dozen wine styles, each with distinct properties. No matter the wine, it always smells and tastes better when poured into a high-quality vessel. Pouring wine into the right wine glass will enhance your wine-tasting experience and make your time around the table with friends and family more enjoyable.
]]>Pouring wine into the right wine glass will enhance your wine-tasting experience and make your time around the table with friends and family more enjoyable.
Some wine glasses have wide bowls while others have narrow openings. Every piece of mouth-blown glassware is designed to make particular wine styles shine. Although you can use any wine glass to drink any type of wine, the proper glassware can make any wine taste significantly better. Why? Because not all wines are equally aromatic, so some need more room to “breathe.”
While wine glasses vary in size, shape, and composition, the best all share a few things in common. Crystal stemware is stronger and more refractive than glass stemware. At the same time, crystal glassware is thinner and more delicate, meaning it’s much more attractive. The best wine glasses in all categories are those made with crystal and artisanally mouth-blown.
All wine glasses have a base—even stemless glassware—for an obvious purpose. The stem also serves a purpose: it lets you hold the wine glass without warming its contents or smudging the bowl with your fingers.
Finally, the most essential part of any wine glass is its bowl. Wide bowls with large capacities are best for concentrated wine that needs swirling to open, while smaller bowls keep the content’s temperature colder.
As for the mouth opening, although smaller openings trap the wine scents better, some people prefer wider openings.
Although there are many types of wine glasses, we’ve selected 12 styles to give you an example of what you should look for when choosing the proper glassware for your wine dinners and tastings.
The size and shape of your glassware matter, but its quality is even more important. Explore the beautiful Grassl Wine Glass Collection for premium stemware that lives up to your expectations.
Many wine glasses can be considered Universal wine glasses. They’re never too large or small, too narrow or too tall. These wine glasses are elegant enough for long tablecloth dinners but versatile enough for backyard grilling parties. Youthful red and white wines, along with specialties like rosé and dessert wine, shine in this particular type of wine glass.
Examples: Grassl Versatile Elemental Series, Grassl Liberté Vigneron Series
Full-bodied and oaky white wines need their own glassware, which is explained further in the Burgundy glassware category. For all other white wines, you’re better off with a dedicated wine glass designed to keep the wine cold and retain its delicate bouquet. Look for wine glasses with relatively small capacities and a narrow opening.
Example: Grassl Mineralité Vigneron Series
Most red wines on the market are meant to be enjoyed young, with their fruity profiles best enjoyed in medium-sized wine glasses. This doesn’t mean that the right wine glass can’t make the wine smell and taste better. When pouring youthful red wine, a universal wine glass with a relatively wide bowl and ample opening is ideal.
Example: Grassl Versatile Elemental Series
Pinot Noir, oak-aged Chardonnay, and other aromatic varieties benefit from wide bowls that allow the wine to express itself by releasing its complex aromatic compounds. These are Burgundy-style wine glasses, and they have a dramatic impact on the wine. You’ll recognize these easily for their ample belly.
Example: Grassl Cru Vigneron Series
These robust wine glasses are designed to handle even the most concentrated and age-worthy wines, like those made with Cabernet, Tempranillo, or Sangiovese. Tall, chimney-like bowls capture the wine’s complex bouquet while allowing vigorous swirling.
Example: Grassl 1855 Vigneron Series
Sparkling wine glasses have changed over time. Shallow coupé was once the norm, but the style is now used for cocktails rather than fizzy wine. Flutes are still standard in casual and formal scenarios, but broader, tulip-shaped sparkling wine glasses are now the norm. They allow the wine taster to swirl and smell the bubbly wine.
Example: Grassl Champagne Elemental Series
Water glasses are just as important in a dinner setting as wine glasses since plenty of water is necessary when entertaining—especially when drinking alcoholic beverages. Water glasses can be as impactful as fine stemware. Plus, they enhance the experience without stealing the spotlight.
Example: Grassl Water Elemental Series
Sweet wine is dessert in its own right. High amounts of residual sugar make these wines decadent treats that are best enjoyed cold in small wine glasses. You rarely need to pour more than two to three ounces to enjoy their complexity.
Example: Grassl Mineralité Vigneron Series
Stemless wine glasses, also known as wine tumblers, are versatile and casual. They’re ideal for relaxed atmospheres and get-togethers with friends. Although fine wine might benefit from being poured into a stemmed wine glass, most wine in the market is delicious when poured into one of these slick pieces.
Example: VYCE OAO Wine Tumbler
Rocks glasses, or tumblers, are essential in any glassware collection. That’s because they’re ideal for serving cocktails and spirits, neat or on the rocks. A thick bottom is typical in these pieces, and although rocks glasses are often considered an afterthought, you should invest as much time and money in them as you would for fine stemware.
Example VYCE COF Rocks Tumbler
Carafes are not a type of wine glass, but they’re equally important. Carafes are ideal for pouring wine at the table. You can also use them to pour water, refreshments, and juices, making them suitable for formal and casual entertaining.
Example: Grassl Carafe Elemental Series
Decanters are an essential piece in any glassware collection. A decanter is the only way to separate the wine from its sediments without disturbing them. But these beautiful crystal pieces have other uses, too. By pouring wine into a decanter, you can aerate it to soften its tannins and make it more aromatic.
Example: Grassl Decanter Vigneron Series
]]>The thing is, not all wine regions are equally famous or prestigious. Therefore, not all wine is created equal. Here’s where wine appellations come in. They identify wine for its provenance, which makes all the difference in valuing the wine. Here’s what you need to know about wine appellations and how to use them to your advantage when buying or selling wines for your collection.
Wine appellations are production laws and quality standards that producers must follow to label their products with a particular origin. You’ve seen appellations before when buying Iberico ham, Florida oranges, or tequila since people protect all types of agricultural products with appellations. However, the world of wine has one of the most complicated appellation systems.
Appellations first appeared when wine producers in renowned regions needed to protect their wine from counterfeits. In the early 1900s, a bottle of Bordeaux was likely filled with wine from Algeria. Appellations prevented producers from bottling their wine like wine from other regions and ensured that the wine was of a certain quality.
Remember: Some appellations are regional and cover large extensions. Other appellations apply to small single vineyards or estates.
For appellations to work, they had to become international agreements—and most did. For example, producers in France can’t label their wines as Napa Cab. However, the system isn’t perfect. Some Californian sparkling wine producers mischievously label their bottles of fizz as if they were Champagne rather than Prosecco.
Appellations of all sizes come with a manual, which is an extensive set of rules describing the protected product. Some even establish laws for every step of the wine’s production.
France has some of the strictest appellations worldwide. The country’s appellations tell winemakers what grapes to grow, how to grow them, and when to pick them. They also control what happens in the winery, including the wine’s minimum alcohol levels and residual sugar. Most European countries have similar laws, especially since the unification of the European Union.
Other countries, mainly in the “new world,” have looser appellation laws. Producers in the United States must only ensure that the wine is made (mostly) with grapes from any given region to be able to label it under that appellation. Production, alcohol levels, and sweetness are rarely regulated.
Appellations aren’t the only thing that matters. Sometimes, the producer’s reputation is more important than the appellation itself. Historically, some of the most famous wines have rejected all forms of restrictions and crafted wines outside the appellation system, like the Italian Super Tuscans or the Garagiste wines from Bordeaux. Knowing your appellations can help you pick the right wine for the occasion. Famous appellations guarantee high quality, but lesser-known appellations are often of great value, too.
Another important factor in wine enjoyment is choosing the right glassware for every bottle. Grassl Glass offers a curated selection of wine glasses to bring out the best in distinct wine styles. A complete glassware set is all you need to explore the world of wine’s diversity and its endless appellations.
]]>Knowing how to store your wine collection is the difference between enjoying your favorite wine in its prime and accelerating its decay. So, how do you store wine properly? Here’s what you need to know about wine storage, including tips and best practices. Wine can only show its best if you take care of it first.
Wine’s worst enemies are direct light, heat, movement, and oxygen. Light will damage the wine at a molecular level, changing its profile. Heat will accelerate its evolution. Movement accelerates the chemical changes in the wine, and oxygen oxidizes it, changing its color and aroma. Storing wine is all about protecting it from these elements.
Storing wine incorrectly can be costly, especially if you’ve assembled a fine wine collection. However, even inexpensive wine bottles benefit from correct storage conditions. How susceptible is wine? And is there anything we can do about it? Here are some best practices for storing any type of wine.
For long-term wine storage, there’s little difference between wine styles. All wines will evolve nicely by following the tips above. However, keep in mind that less than 5% of wine is meant to age.
Most white wine and rosé are best enjoyed immediately and up to three years after the vintage. Red wines are more resilient, and you can still expect the wine to be in good shape at the five-year mark. Only concentrated wines meant to age will evolve for years and decades, and you know what these wines are. They’re often the most famous and expensive labels.
For the long term, store all wines at an average cool temperature. However, if you’re planning on opening the wine soon, you’ll want to store it closer to its ideal service temperature: between 4-10°C (39-50°F) for white, rosé, and sparkling wines and between 10-16°C (50-60°F) for red wines.
Storing wine properly involves more than keeping it safe from the elements. Storing wine orderly is essential too, not only for the aesthetics but for your own sake. Here’s where wine storage and equipment come in handy.
You might only need a few racks if you have a dedicated cellar at home. However, wine refrigerators and coolers are a good alternative for most wine enthusiasts. Wine fridges and other storage solutions come in all sizes, so consider your wine habits before purchasing.
If you plan on storing wine on the go, explore Grassl’s wine storage solutions, including the extraordinary Grassl Voyage Wine Glass Travel Case. Traveling with wine is one thing, but traveling with the proper stemware is something else entirely. It’s best to be prepared.]]>Let’s discuss natural wine, its definition, production, and availability. Natural wine is interesting, to say the least. When showing its best, it looks like any other wine; but sometimes, it shows its funky side.
How natural is natural wine? And is natural always better? Before we get started, explore our site for more vinous content, and expand your stemware collection with handcrafted crystal pieces. When it comes to wine, the right glass makes all the difference.
Natural wine is a loose term used for wine made with a non-interventionist approach in both the vineyard and the cellar. This means using no chemical fertilizers in the fields or additives in the winery. The result is supposed to be fermented grape juice, and nothing else.
Natural wine is nothing new. For thousands of years, all wine was natural. In the last few hundred years, we turned winemaking into an industrial process, which poses a problem. Wine has never been truly natural. Additives like sulfur dioxide (aka sulfites or SO2) have been used since the times of the Ancient Romans who lived more than two thousand years ago.
More often than not, the difference between natural and organic wine is that organic wine contains sulfite. So how is natural wine made?
Natural wine should look, smell, and taste like any other wine. After all, the process behind it isn’t all that different from modern wine-making practices. The grapes are picked, crushed, macerated, and fermented. The resulting wine may or may not be clarified and filtered, and the wine can spend some time aging in barrels before being bottled.
Natural wine producers can do some of these things to their wines or none of them. Natural wine is fluid and open to interpretation. However, the most crucial question winemakers must answer when making natural wine is whether they use sulfur dioxide and, if so, how much.
Note: Sulfur dioxide is a natural compound that acts as an antioxidant and antibacterial agent in wine, extending its shelf life and protecting it from oxidation.
Some people believe natural wine is better for you since it doesn’t contain additives. However, this is only somewhat true. Although wine made with organic fruit is undoubtedly safer to consume than wine made with fruit sprayed with weed killers and pesticides, not all additives in wine are harmful. Sulfur dioxide is natural, and you find it in all types of foods. In fact, more SO2 is found in french fries than in wine.
On the other hand, wine that’s bottled without SO2 has a short shelf life. It oxidizes quicker and is more susceptible to fungal and bacterial contamination. This is why natural wine sometimes smells funky.
The bottom line? Natural wine should look and taste like regular wine and be healthier, provided it’s made with no artificial additives. However, most natural wine on the market sacrifices quality for purity. Remember that no wine, not even natural wine, should taste or smell bad. The line must be drawn somewhere.
Most wine suppliers offer a wide selection of natural wine. If the producer has a good reputation, its natural wine will be as good as any other. However, natural wine can be more expensive. Making wine the old-fashioned way is more complicated than you think.
If you want to drink healthier wine that’s also better for the environment, look past natural wine and buy sustainable wine. Sustainable wine is made with organic fruit, involves minimal intervention, and considers factors like water usage, energy savings, waste management, packaging, and even human rights in the production process.
To enjoy organic, natural, and sustainable wine at its best, store it in a cool and dim-lit place, serve it at the right temperature, and pour it into artisan stemware. Grassl wine glasses are among the best wine glass options to enjoy fine wine, whether or not it contains sulfites.]]>Here’s what you need to know about the Old Fashioned and how to make one at home. This truly is an old-fashioned drink that you’re sure to love.
When Jerry Thomas—the father of modern bartending—published his How to Mix Drinks manual in 1862, not all of the drinks were cocktails. In fact, just a few drinks were labeled as such. Other categories included daisies, crustas, punches, and others. Before that time, mixed drinks weren’t all that exciting. Ice wasn’t always available, and most mixed drinks were just attempts to make awful spirits taste better.
That all changed when modern ice production, flavored liqueurs, and fresh products—like lemon juice—became more widely available. Suddenly, cocktails actually tasted good, and they came in all colors, flavors, and sizes. For those accustomed to the old ways, the new wave of mixed drinks wasn’t all that appealing, and many of them preferred to order an old-fashioned drink—the style they knew and loved.
So, what exactly is an old-fashioned drink? In the mid-1900s, an Old Fashioned cocktail consisted of a spirit, slightly sweetened and enhanced with a dash of bitters. Does this recipe sound familiar? Today’s Old Fashioned cocktail is exactly that. While not the most exciting cocktail, it’s just as delicious today as it was back then.
Recipes for the Old Fashioned cocktail were readily available in the late 1900s. Some bars—like the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky—claim its invention, but so do many others.
Although you can technically make an Old Fashioned with any spirit, including brandy and gin, what most people think of when ordering this cocktail is the Whiskey Old Fashioned. Not everyone agrees on this point, but you can use either Bourbon or Rye Whiskey for the cocktail. Besides whiskey, the recipe calls for a sugar cube, a dash of Angostura bitters, and a splash of water.
To make an Old Fashioned cocktail, you’ll need an ounce and a half of bourbon or rye whiskey, a sugar cube, a few dashes of Angostura, and a splash of water. You’ll also need glassware, a muddler, and a bar spoon. An Old Fashioned Mini Bar kit might be perfect for you if you plan on making more than a few of these.
Whenever you don’t feel like having a colorful tropical drink, opt for an Old Fashioned. After all, sometimes the old ways are the best ways.
]]>Here’s all you need to know about orange wine, including what orange wine is, what it tastes like, and how to serve it. Needless to say, orange wine is a fine wine, and it will look and taste better when served in your beautiful collection of Grassl wine glasses.
Orange wine is also known as skin-contact wine, but it’s not alone. Red wine and—to some extent—rosé also benefit from extended maceration, in which the grape juice is infused with color, flavor, and texture from the grape skins. In summary, orange wine is a type of white wine made by borrowing plays from the red winemaking playbook.
There’s a good chance the very first white wines in history were, in fact, orange since separating the grape juice from the skins is more complicated than fermenting them together. However, the modern orange wine movement started in Slovenia and Northern Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia, where the style is typical.
Clean and crisp white wine replaced orange wine in the 20th century, but it resurfaced as a rarity and novelty in the last 90s and 00s. Today, winemakers produce orange wine worldwide, and the style has gained a significant following.
In many ways, orange wine is the opposite of rosé. To make rosé, you vinify red grapes as if making white wine. To make orange wine, you process white grapes using the red winemaking method. Like all other wine styles, orange wine starts at the vineyard, and the wine’s quality is intertwined with the quality of the fruit. You can’t make great wine with lousy grapes.
The white grapes are picked and taken to the cellar, where they’re crushed and destemmed—either fully or partially. They then go into a fermentation vat. When making white wine, the grape skins are discarded at this point, but not for orange wine. The fruit and skins mingle for hours, days, or even weeks. In the process, the juice gets color and textural compounds from the pale skins.
The producer doesn’t only macerate the grapes and skins together but ferments them in the same vat, depending on the style. Eventually, the newly created wine is filtered and bottled or sent to the next step of the process, whether it be clarifying, filtering, oak aging, or something else. At this point, the wine is not white anymore but orange in color.
Orange wine might display scents not dissimilar to what you’d find in white wine: white fruit, citrus, flowers, herbs, and hints of spices—depending on the process and the grapes used. However, the wine’s main attraction is not on the nose but on the palate. Orange wine has subtle but noticeable tannins from the white grape skins, which makes them rich and full-bodied.
Interestingly enough, orange wine producers purposely allow the wine to oxidize a bit more during the maceration process. This practice gives the wine a darker hue and an extra set of aromas that may include saffron, toasted nuts, and sherry-like scents. Not all orange wines are oxidized, but it’s becoming a trend. Actually, orange wine can be as fresh and fruity as any white wine, so knowing the producer and its winemaking philosophy pays off in the end.
Treat orange wine like white wine. The ideal serving temperature varies between 4°C and 10°C (39°F-50°F), depending on its robustness and perceived weight.
Serve orange wine in white wine glasses, like the Grassl Mineralité and Liberté. Since orange wine can be pretty concentrated, decanting it will ensure it releases all its exciting aromatic compounds.
At the table, orange wine is versatile. It’s a good partner for fish, seafood, and white meat. However, given the wine’s complexity, it will truly shine when served with equally complex foods, like curries, hot pots, and stir-fries. Heavily seasoned roasted poultry, like jerk chicken and spicy wings, are also a great match.
Add orange wine to your wine rotation, and share what you know about it with friends and family. Orange wine is not going anywhere, and it’s better than ever.
]]>Sangria is a classic European drink that has gained fans worldwide. This wine-based cocktail is perfect for hot summer days and has excellent versatility at the table because it pairs well with many different foods. Keep reading to learn more about this vibrant drink and how to make a batch at home.
]]>Interestingly, not all sangria is made the same way; variations exist, and creativity is encouraged. Sangria can be as varied as wine itself, which opens a world of delicious possibilities. A best-selling drink in many restaurants worldwide, sangria is also easy to make at home, which is one reason why it’s so popular. Keep reading to learn more about this vibrant drink and how to make a batch at home.
Sangria originates from the Iberian peninsula, which encompasses Spain and Portugal. Although the name means “bloodletting,” it has nothing to do with actual blood but instead the wine-making process. Bleeding some of the grape juice from a fermentation vat to increase the wine’s concentration is not uncommon. An excellent way to use sweet, bled wine is by making sangria.
Concisely, sangria is a punch consisting of wine, a sweetener, chunks of fruit, and sometimes a dash of brandy—or something stronger. The result is a sweet, vinous drink with a fruity personality. Thanks to the wine, the cocktail has the most vibrant ruby-red color, making it even more appealing.
Typical sangria contains the same alcohol level as the wine used to make it—if not less—averaging between 12% and 14% ABV. Of course, adding juice or sparkling water to the mixture dilutes its alcoholic strength. On the other hand, adding fruit schnapps, brandy, or cognac can restore some of its alcohol kick.
The main ingredient in any sangria is wine. While you want to use high-quality table wine for this specialty, don’t splurge on a pricy bottle. Using fine wine to make sangria is a sure way to ruin a perfect bottle of wine—not because it won’t taste good but because the other ingredients will take center stage and change the wine’s personality. Here’s where wine in a box and other inexpensive alternatives come in handy. Although using red wine to make sangria is typical, you can also use white wine or rosé wine to produce equally exciting results.
To make sangria, you need a bottle of wine and a bottle opener. You also need a vessel to combine the ingredients in. Carafes are perfect for this.
Next up is a sweetener. You can add a couple of tablespoons of sugar to taste or mix orange juice with the wine for a different take. Syrups are also common sweeteners in sangria.
Then there’s the fruit. Here’s where your creativity comes in, as grapes, pineapple chunks, sliced peaches, apples, and pears are all typical but not your only options. Use what you have on hand, and keep it seasonal for the best results.
Finally, add a sour ingredient to the mix—whether it’s sour orange, lemon, or lime juice, as the citrus acidity will balance the cocktail’s sweetness.
There are plenty of sangria recipes out there, and you can make your own to taste. These are the basic steps for making sangria at home.
Sangria is best enjoyed cold, ideally at fridge temperature. Adding ice to sangria is not uncommon but also not the best practice, as the ice quickly dilutes the sangria. At the very least, pour the sangria straight out of the fridge into a glass filled with fresh ice, and keep it from sitting too long.
A carafe is every sangria-lover’s best friend, as it holds enough sangria to entertain your guests and is easy to keep in the fridge or on the table. Carafes also have the ideal opening size to allow you to pour the fruit along with the wine.
Since cocktails are just half of the story, ensure you serve sangria with bite-sized finger food—like canapés cured meats, fresh cheese, and other bites. To keep things authentic, take inspiration from the varied Spanish tapas menu. Salud!
]]>The question is: How do you pour wine correctly? Well, it depends. After all, there are different scenarios and distinct wine styles. However, we’ll cover the basic steps behind professional wine service. These rules will help you in any situation.
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Pouring wine is all about safety and presentation. Some wine bottles are rare and expensive and deserve to be served with a certain flair. You should also serve inexpensive wine following a particular protocol in a formal setting. Needless to say, casual scenarios mustn’t be all that formal.
It all starts at the table, provided that you have opened the bottle already. Generally speaking, your table guests should have their respective wine glasses to their right, just above the knife. Serve the wine from over the guest’s right shoulder going clockwise, starting with the guest of honor, followed by the women, the men, and yourself.
When you order wine by the glass at a restaurant, you should expect a five-ounce pour per glass. That’s a standard pour, which equates to five glasses per bottle. However, when entertaining at home, you can pour half that amount and refill as necessary.
When pouring wine, hold the bottle from its body, not the base or the neck. Hold the bottle as if shaking hands. Holding the bottle from the base can cause an accident, especially if someone bumps into you from behind (which is common in busy restaurants.) Ensure the label faces the guest so they can easily see what’s being poured.
Pour white, rosé, and red wine in a single pour. Roughly, a five-second pour equals a five-ounce pour, but you’ll need to practice getting it right.
Pouring sparkling wine is a bit trickier, as it’s prone to overflow. In this case, two consecutive pours should do the trick. Slow and steady wins the race, so don’t rush.
Age-worthy red wine and some oak-aged white wines benefit from decanting before pouring. Decanting is a way to separate the wine from its mineral deposits and aerate it. When entertaining with wine, a carafe or decanter will come in handy.
When pouring wine from one of these vessels, ensure that you have a serviette on the other hand. Use it to prevent drops from staining the tablecloth. Pouring wine from a decanter takes skill, especially when you’re trying to pour the last couple of ounces. But like most skills, you’ll master it with time and practice.
Service standards vary depending on the setting and occasion. You don’t pour wine in the same way at pool parties as for formal dinners. What matters most is that you’re consistent and serve the wine the same way to everyone.
Although wine service is all about practice, the right tools and gadgets will make your life easier.
Decanters and carafes. Ensure that you have decanters and carafes on hand, not only because they’ll help you make “closed” wines more expressive but because they add flair to the experience.
Serviettes. You’ll need at least three serviettes when serving wine, as you want to wipe the bottle’s mouth after removing the capsule and once again after removing the cork. Serviettes also prevent spilling while pouring.
Bouchons and stoppers. There are various bottle stoppers and bouchons available for bottles and decanters. They keep the wine fresh and the experience spill-free, so keep a couple around. You’ll thank us later.
]]>Wine and food are two sides of the same coin. They’re good on their own but enjoyed better together. However, wine is as varied as the world’s cuisines, so finding the right pairings is tricky. Cured meats, sausages, and hams are deliciously compatible with wine, as are cheeses and other goodies. It’s no surprise that serving a charcuterie board to your guests when tasting wine is a popular strategy. Here’s how to make a charcuterie board for your next party.
]]>This is where charcuterie boards come in. Cured meats, sausages, and hams are deliciously compatible with wine, as are cheeses and other goodies. It’s no surprise that serving a charcuterie board to your guests when tasting wine is a popular strategy. Here’s how to make a charcuterie board for your next party.
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Charcuterie is a catch-all term for preserved food, mainly salt-cured and smoked meat. The practice goes back to when we didn’t have refrigeration. Ham, bacon, terrines, sausages, and pâtés are all considered charcuterie. And specialties exist worldwide. From jelly-like terrines to fatty confit, charcuterie is timeless (literally) and has been intertwined with wine and other beverages since the middle ages.
Charcuterie is no longer a necessity but rather a treat to enjoy now and then. It can be a luxury, too. The finest hams are pricey. Charcuterie is also the star ingredient in cold platters. It’s an excellent appetizer for parties, from formal events to casual get-togethers.
All charcuterie boards look different. There are so many possibilities regarding the items used and how to present them that there are no hard and fast rules for assembly. With that said, you will need a large board or platter to serve the food on. Bowls can help compartmentalize the board, adding even more possibilities. Cutting and spreading knives should also be considered, depending on the menu. Leave room for decoration and garnishes, too.
No charcuterie board is complete without cured meats, and there are many to choose from. Smoked ham. like the Spanish Iberico and the Italian Prosciutto, are popular alternatives. At the end of the day, the options are limitless. We recommend finding a specialty in your area to highlight local flavors.
Cured meats are best enjoyed with complementary foods, like cheese. Hard, soft, and blue cheeses can play exciting roles on your board. Cheese is creamy, and it can be quite pungent. In a way, the sharp flavor of the cheese balances the cured meat’s fattiness.
Fresh bread, like baguette slices, are a must at every cheese board. So are crackers. These items provide a means of eating the other goodies and help cleanse the palate between bites.
Assorted nuts, dried fruits, and olives are additional complementary ingredients that can give color and variety to your charcuterie board. Everything goes when it comes to these. However, most people try to keep things consistent. Board platters can be thematic, so if you’re serving Mediterranean meats and cheeses, stick to popular items from the area.
Including preserves, dips, and condiments—like Dijon mustard, is an exciting way to complement charcuterie boards. Think of fun preparations, like onion jam and garlic confit.
Consider the number of guests, including yourself, and determine the amount of food needed. This may vary depending on whether you’re having dinner or serving dessert. When in doubt, buy more than you think you’ll need. The last thing you want is to run out of food before everyone reaches their fill.
Buy high-quality ingredients. When it comes to charcuterie boards, quality matters. Some items are expensive, like Spanish ham and French cheese. However, high-end products are often of higher quality and are much more exciting than low-end alternatives.
Buy the bread at the last minute to ensure freshness, and don’t serve cured meats and cheese straight from the fridge. They’re more expressive at room temperature.
Arrange the elements on the board or platter artistically, balancing colors, flavors, and textures. Don’t overcrowd the platter. Have extra ingredients on hand, and replenish the board as necessary.
Serve wine, craft beer, or fine cider. Complement fatty food, like cured meats, with robust red wine, or contrast it with tart white or sparkling wine.
Learn the basics about the board’s main ingredients. Share what you know with your guests, making the charcuterie board an exciting conversation starter. For example, ask your guests, “Did you know this cheese ages in a cave for three months?”
Once you've made a charcuterie board you're proud of and you've chosen the perfect wine to pair with it, the final thing to do is decide on your glassware! Check out the Grassl Vigneron Series’ Mineralité glass, a mouth-blown, multi-purpose wine glass that will transform any wine during any phase of its life.
]]>Sparkling wine rarely disappoints. However, not all sparkling wine is created equal. In fact, there’s a massive difference in terms of complexity when comparing the good stuff with low-end sparklers. Champagne might be a synonym for luxury, but its quality is unmatched. There is a difference between the French fizz and its competitors. Here’s what you need to know about sparkling wine and its most worthy ambassador: Champagne.
]]>Champagne might be a synonym for luxury, but its quality is unmatched. There is a difference between the French fizz and its competitors. Here’s what you need to know about sparkling wine and its most worthy ambassador: Champagne.
All Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is Champagne. Is Champagne worth its price? We think so, and here’s why.
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Champagne is a sparkling wine that’s made in the French region of Champagne, which is near the Montagne de Reims and the towns of Reims and Epernay. This is one of the northernmost wine regions in France. This tidbit of information matters because cold weather produces wine grapes with the acidity level necessary to make premium sparkling wine.
All Champagne is made using the time-consuming and labor-intensive Méthode Champenoise, or Traditional Method. During this process, still white wine becomes sparkling wine by re-fermenting in the bottle. The magic happens in the cellars, where the wine ages “sur lie”—or spent yeast—for years and sometimes decades.
Champagne is a sparkling wine made traditionally in a particular region where the style has been perfected for centuries.
You can classify Champagne in several ways. Your preferred classification will depend on whether you’re more interested in the type of grapes used, the wine’s provenance, or the wine’s composition.
The Grapes Used: All Champagne is made with at least one of three authorized grapes: Chardonnay, Meunier ,and Pinot Noir. There are other grape types, but they aren’t as important. This results in Champagne styles like Blanc de Blancs Champagne—which is made only with Chardonnay—and Blanc de Noirs—which is made exclusively with red grapes.
The Provenance of the Grapes: The plots with the best sun exposure produce the ripest grapes. These sites are often classified as Premier or Grand Crus. You can find these terms on Champagne labels, meaning the wine was made with the region’s finest grapes.
Vintage vs. Non-Vintage. Most Champagne is made with a combination of wines from various vintages. Even the simplest Champagne combines the traits of at least a dozen vintages. However, when the weather is just right, producers make Champagne from a single vintage. These are amongst the rarest sparklers in the world.
The Sweetness. Finally, you can classify Champagne for its sweetness. Brut Zero or Nature contains no added sugar. Brut is the most common sweetness, containing 0-12 grams of sugar per liter. Then you have Extra Dry, Dry, and Demi-Sec. These are the sweetest types.
The Method. Sparkling wine is like Champagne in many aspects. Some sparkling wine is also made using the Traditional Method, but not all. Most inexpensive sparklers are made with the Charmat method, in which the wine re-ferments in a stainless-steel tank, resulting in less complexity at a lower cost.
The Provenance. People can make sparkling wine anywhere, although the style shows its best when the grapes grow in cold climates. Although producers can’t use the term Champagne unless they grow their grapes in the Champagne region, they can use other terms that often compete with Champagne in quality. Italy’s Franciacorta and Prosecco are good examples, along with Spanish Cava—South Africa’s Cap Classique—and Germany’s Sekt.
The Grapes. Then there’s the grapes. Sparkling wine producers often use the same grapes used in Champagne but can use others as well. For example, German producers might use Riesling while others might rely on Pinot Blanc or Chenin Blanc. Sparkling wine from specific regions, like the Spanish Cava, has its own set of grapes.
Vintage Vs. Non-Vintage. Sparkling wine producers can also make vintage wines or blend different vintages to achieve a house style. However, few (if any) sparkling wine producers outside Champagne have the immense wine libraries that the famous Maisons de Champagne have at their disposal for blending house styles. As a result, sparkling wine made elsewhere is rarely as complex as authentic Champagne.
The Sweetness. As for the sweetness, the world has adopted the same sweetness levels used in Champagne for other styles. In other words, Brut sparkling wine is as sweet as Brut Champagne.
The finest sparkling wines in the world can match the complexity of basic Champagne, but the finest Champagne has no equal. Of course, complexity is not all that matters. Sparkling wine can be refreshing and enjoyable, perhaps as much as Champagne, for a fraction of the price.
Champagne is great for memorable occasions, as opening a bottle of the famous French fizz is noteworthy in itself. However, for everyday enjoyment, any sparkling wine will do. There’s no good or bad wine, only wine for certain occasions. Champagne and sparkling wine work together to offer a myriad of experiences that are best enjoyed with friends and family.
Most importantly, how much you enjoy sparkling wine depends on other factors, like the glassware being used. The Grassl Vigneron Series’ Mineralité glass is a multi-purpose, mouth-blown wine glass that can make white wine, rosé wine, and sparkling wine all show their true colors.
]]>Moving into a new home is a big deal, especially for those becoming independent for the first time. That’s why housewarming parties are an occasion to look forward to; you get to be part of someone’s new adventure. Housewarming gifts—unlike other gifts—require some extra thought. Here’s a comprehensive guide to housewarming gifts for anyone in your life, especially those who are particularly fond of wine.
]]>Housewarming gifts—unlike other gifts—require some extra thought. After all, you want to equip the new homeowners with things they’ll actually use and enjoy. Here’s a comprehensive guide to housewarming gifts for anyone in your life, especially those who are particularly fond of wine.
Wondering what the best housewarming gift is? A good housewarming gift must be thoughtful and practical. It can be as simple as a dish rack or as luxurious as a robot vacuum cleaner. The secret is to use your own experience at home to solve problems that you know the newlywed couple or the new tenants will face.
Housewarming gifts should also be personal. After all, it’s nice to be remembered when someone uses an item you picked out just for them. And what’s more personal than a bottle of wine?
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Wine and the accessories that make wine fun are lovely housewarming gift ideas—but so are other clever kitchen gadgets. Here are some unique gift ideas, from high-end wine glasses and decanters to cutting boards and other kitchen essentials.
If you’re a wine enthusiast, these items will help you share your passion for wine with those you care most about.
Choosing gifts for wine lovers is not an easy task. That’s because wine enthusiasts prefer different types of wine. despite their differences, all wine lovers can appreciate the following wine-related gifts:
Wine Glasses. High-end wine glasses—especially those that are mouth-blown and made with crystal—are more than a means to an end. They’re collectors’ items that are great to have around the house. A set of white wine glasses is a great start. The Mineralité from Grassl’s Vigneron Series, for example, works wonders with white, rosé and youthful red wines.
Decanters. A decanter is an ideal housewarming gift; every wine lover needs one. Decanters aerate wine, helping it to “breathe” and open. They can also help separate well-aged wine from its deposits. These days, you can decant nearly any type of wine and produce great results. The Grassl Vigneron Series Decanter is elegant and doesn’t require much storage space. It’s perfect for smaller, cozy homes.
Bouchon wine stoppers. If you’ve poured more than a couple of wine bottles in your lifetime, you know preserving opened bottles is paramount to maintaining the wine’s taste. That’s why wine stoppers are incredibly useful. A bouchon for a decanter is also a fantastic gift for wine lovers, primarily because it helps keep decanters clean and ready to use.
Looking for a housewarming gift for the newlywed couple that has a special significance? Wine gifts are an excellent way to honor the couple. They can host dinner parties, toast to special occasions, and wind down after a long day at work. Here are some of our top recommendations for newlywed housewarming gifts.
Grassl’s Newlywed Kit is the perfect gift for married couples. It contains two versatile wine glasses, two Champagne glasses, two stemless water glasses, and a handy carafe. We’re sure you’ll appreciate the kit’s versatility, and so will the lucky newlyweds.
These are the right housewarming gifts for couples who love to bring joy to friends and family by hosting sophisticated dinner parties and wine tastings.
Carafes. Carafes, unlike decanters, have multiple purposes and take up less space at the table. Carafes are ideal if you need a vessel to serve water or aerate wine but don’t want to bring out a formal decanter.
Cutting boards. Nice cutting boards, like our Caro Caro Grooved Boards, make cooking more exciting. If they’re nice enough, you can even use them at the table for serving cheese, fruit, and other handheld snacks.
Cocktail napkins. You’ll be surprised that even the most uncomplicated items can make a big difference when entertaining. Cocktail napkins, for example, are a thoughtful gift that the couple will surely appreciate for years to come. Check out some of the beautiful sets we have in stock!
Not all couples start a new journey with nothing but the clothes on their backs; some couples seem to have everything already. This doesn’t mean you can’t find a good housewarming gift for them. Here are some gift ideas for the hard-to-buy-for couple in your life.
Rocks glasses. Rocks glasses are in vogue, and it’s because they’re perfect for serving cocktails, spirits, soft drinks, and even wine. We know what you’re thinking—yes, it’s acceptable to serve wine in rocks glasses.
Upgraded Wine Glasses. It’s one thing to have just any wine glasses at home and another entirely to have professional stemware that’s suitable for the nicest of wines. Upgrading to artisanal, crystal wine glasses is something even the couples who have everything will appreciate.
Voyager Travel Case. If you genuinely want to make an impression, give them the opportunity to travel luxuriously with Grassl’s Voyage Travel Case. It includes four mouth-blown wine glasses the couple is sure to love.
It’s not about you. Buying a housewarming gift is personal. When choosing one, we often think about what we need at home and not necessarily about the couple’s wants and needs. That might not be the best approach. Be thoughtful and think about the couple’s interests, then use your own experience to choose the perfect gift.
Make it personal. Although robot vacuums and tea towels are great gifts, they say little about you and how well you know the recipient. Ensure your housewarming gifts have a personal touch to make the best impression.
Follow up. Don’t just get something nice. Ensure the couple finds it useful by showing them how to use it. A decanter is a lovely gift, but it’s not very practical unless you know what it’s for and how to use it. Simply taking a few minutes to show them the ropes will make all the difference.
Knowing how to pack wine glasses for moving is a skill you might not need often, but it will save your stemware’s life when the time for moving somewhere else comes. Here are our top tips for packing wine glasses for your next big move.
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Packing wine glasses has its challenges. After all, stemware is delicate. Unlike most other items in your home, you can’t just throw crystal wine glasses into a box and call it a day. For glassware to withstand a long trip, you must package it right.
In this short guide, we’ll walk you through the ideal packaging materials for stemware—a step-by-step guide to packing wine glasses and a few handy tips to ensure your crystal collection arrives safe and sound at its final destination. Of course, there’s more than one way to pack delicate materials like this, so you can get creative!
Here's a handy list of packing materials for glassware. You might only need some of the items on the list, but they’re a good starting point.
Bubble wrap uses trapped air to protect anything wrapped in it. However, glass and crystal don’t play well with plastic, as inevitable friction is caused when they rub together. Place a tissue, a newspaper sheet, or a light cloth between the glass and the bubble wrap to prevent rubbing.
Old clothes such as sweatshirts and socks make excellent packaging materials for glassware, especially to fill the empty space inside a box.
Cardboard can help you stiffen the contents of a box, preventing the packed glassware from moving around.
Newspaper or craft paper is lightweight but rigid enough to protect your glassware; wrap each piece tightly with several paper layers before placing it inside a box.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to packing wine glasses safely.
Let’s wrap this one up with our most valuable tips for packing wine glasses for moving.
If you’re into wine, you know there’s a wine glass for every type. White wine glasses are among the most popular. White wine glasses are essential for every glassware cabinet, as they’re the most versatile. Unsurprisingly, universal wine glasses are often inspired by white wine glasses in shape and size. Let’s talk about white wine glasses and how to choose the best ones. After all, not all white wine glasses are the same!
]]>White wine glasses are essential for every glassware cabinet, as they’re the most versatile. Unsurprisingly, universal wine glasses are often inspired by white wine glasses in shape and size—making every white wine glass universal in a way.
Let’s talk about white wine glasses and how to choose the best ones. After all, not all white wine glasses are the same!
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There are many types of wine glasses, but red and white wine glasses are the most prominent and the ones every wine enthusiast should have in their repertoire.
Both styles are similar, featuring relatively wide bowls and openings, a thin stem, and a base. However, compare them side by side, and you’ll quickly realize red wine glasses are larger than their white counterparts. That’s because red wine has more volatile compounds; therefore, it needs more room to “breathe.”
Besides, white wine is generally served at a cooler temperature than red wine, so you want shorter pours to prevent the wine from getting too warm.
Every glassware company has a collection of white wine glasses designed for distinct types of white wine. However, you don’t need a wine glass for every wine grape and style. There are three leading white wine glasses to consider: stemware for fruity and uncomplicated white wine, glassware for oaked white wine, and specialty wine glasses for dessert wine.
The most common white wine glass is a medium-sized glass with a relatively wide bowl that works for all styles. It’s the one you’ll find at restaurants, for example. These “standard” wine glasses work great with white wine fermented in stainless steel—with fruity, herbal, or floral notes but no hints of malo-lactic fermentation or oak.
For full-bodied white wines made with malo-lactic fermentation that spent some time in a barrel, a wider bowl will suit you best. That’s because these wines are more aromatic and require more swirling.
White wine glasses for dessert wine are generally small, as a couple of ounces of this precious liquid are often more than enough.
Other than that, choose the right white wine glass for the wine style on hand!
Stemless wine glasses have been trending in recent years; they're especially popular for their unpretentious look and feel. Casual get-togethers call for everyday drinking glasses, and stemless wine tumblers fit the bill. However, stemless wine glasses are not recommended for formal wine tastings or for pouring nice wine at a dinner party.
Stemless glassware doesn’t let you swirl the wine like with stemmed glassware, you can’t fully appreciate the wine’s color, and you warm the wine with heat from your palms, which doesn’t happen when holding a wine glass by the stem.
Now that we’ve discussed the difference between red and white wine glasses and the basic types of stemware, let’s talk about choosing the right one for you.
We’re all different and have unique needs. It’s easy to see how a restaurant or catering company, for example, would need certain types of glassware which might not be suitable for household wine enthusiasts.
The size and shape of the wine glasses are up to you. You’ll have to do some browsing to find the design you like most. What’s not a matter of taste is quality. Ensure your glassware is made by a reputable producer, preferably with crystal instead of glass and using a mouth-blown technique.
Look for shiny wine glasses with a thin rim and a round bowl that narrows toward the opening. A slender stem is always a plus, but the quality of the material and the artisanship behind the piece are what matter most.
Mineralité is the perfect white wine glass for crisp white wines, dry rosés, and fresh sparkling wines—especially those fermented in stainless steel. With a 430ml capacity and a 230mm height, the Grassl Mineralité is balanced and lightweight, allowing the taster to swirl the wine with ease.
This versatile white wine glass is wonderful for white, rosé, and sparkling wine. This 460ml mouth-blown piece is 92mm in diameter and 230 mm in height. The Grassl Liberté is ideal for whites aged in oak, but any white wine will shine in this elegant wine glass.
]]>White wine often takes the back seat behind the more popular red option. However, white wine is not only as exciting as red wine but also more versatile. That’s why you should always leave room for a couple of bottles of white wine in your cellar. Let’s explore the different types of white wine, from their flavors to food pairings.
]]>Of course, there’s more than one kind of white wine to choose from. Let’s explore the different types of white wine, along with their flavors and recommended food pairings. Almost every wine region worldwide makes white wine, with hundreds of pale-skinned grapes available to make it. How can you choose just one? Here’s what you need to know about the different types of white wine.
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White wine is nothing more than fermented grape juice. White grapes are picked, crushed, and pressed to retrieve that precious grape juice, which later becomes wine after spending time in a stainless steel tank or an oak barrel.
The type of grape used gives the final product its unique personality. Chardonnay—the most planted white grape on earth—produces apple-scented golden wines that are sometimes rich and creamy. On the other hand, wines made with Sauvignon Blanc are more herbal and refreshing. There are hundreds of white grapes, each with its own traits.
The wine’s origin matters, too. Not only because major wine-producing countries make superb white wine—including France, Italy, and the United States—but also because the weather impacts the wine’s alcoholic strength and acidity. Its sweetness is often up to the producer.
Most white wine on the market is dry. That means the sugar in the grape juice fully turns into alcohol, leaving no residual sugar behind. Most wines have approximately three grams of sugar per liter, which is unnoticeable.
Producers often ferment dry white wine in stainless steel tanks. You can expect fruity wines with stone fruit, pitted fruit or citrus, and floral or herbal notes consistently over a tight acidic palate. These wines pair perfectly with light dishes like salad, fresh cheese, and seafood.
Common dry white wines include:
Dry white wine can also be oaky if producers ferment or age it in barrels. They allow the wine to undergo the famed malo-lactic fermentation, in which bacteria turn harsh malic acid into mellow lactic acid. These wines are full-bodied and can taste like brioche, butter, and brown spices. Enjoy oaky whites with white meat and creamy sauces.
Other white wines are a bit sweeter. Semi-sweet white is exceedingly popular, as it’s never cloying. And even the most luscious dessert wines are balanced by refreshing acidity, so they’re easy to enjoy without being overwhelmingly sweet. To enhance your experience, serve these wines in a glass with an ample bowl to allow room for the wine to open up. The Grassl Mineralité glass is ideal for acidic wines!
Most sweet wines are white, although exceptions exist. Still, the most famous dessert wines are always white, and they’re liquid gold.
Achieving sweetness in wine takes work, and adding sugar to the wine is not an option, so producers must find ways to achieve high sugar levels. Like in Late Harvest wines, picking grapes later is typical, but there are other options.
Producers in northern latitudes harvest their grapes early in the winter when they’re frozen solid to make luscious Ice Wine. In contrast, others allow a peculiar “noble” fungus to rot the grapes, leaving the sweetest raisins behind—which are ideal for making sweet wine.
Common sweet white wines include:
Sweet white wine often tastes like peaches, apricots, honey, and flowers. You can enjoy these wines with dessert, although they’re desserts in their own right!
Since we're talking about types of white wine, let’s discuss everyday white wines that aren’t particularly memorable. Table white wine is an easy sipper that rarely disappoints but never enchants. You’ll usually find this one as bag-in-a-box or as boxed wine—although it's sometimes bottled.
Even though this type of white wine is not poorly made, it is made with ordinary grapes—often from less than prestigious sites—which makes it inexpensive. This is the perfect white wine for cooking and making cocktails!
White wine is a vast category, so there’s undoubtedly an option for you. Whether sweet or dry, oaky or fruity, white wine is always a great choice. Enjoy white wine as an apéritif and from starters to dessert.
Pour it into dedicated white wine glasses to make it an even more memorable experience.
]]>Sparkling wine is effervescent, and its bubbles are part of the drinking experience. Besides, this wine style is complex on the nose and palate, so enjoying it at its fullest is worth it. That’s why using the right wine glass matters. So, which one is best? There are two prominent wine glasses for Champagne: the coupe and the flute. Here’s what you need to know about them.
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A Champagne coupe is an old-fashioned wine glass with a 6.1 to 8.1 US fluid ounce capacity. It features a saucer shape, a wide mouth, and a shallow bowl. Introduced in France in the 18th century, the coupe glass became popular worldwide in the mid-20th century. However, it fell out of fashion when pitted against another popular Champagne glass—the flute.
Now you’ll commonly see coupe wine glasses in cocktail bars. Bartenders have adopted them for their most creative libations. For sparkling wine, they’re a rare sight. Why? Because spilling wine is unavoidable when using this shallow wine glass, and the bubbles dissipate quickly. On the plus side, these wine glasses are beautiful.
The flute can hold from 6.1 to 10.1 US fluid ounces in one glass. It features a tall, conical shape and a narrow opening. The elongated bowl is attached to a long stem, making flutes delicate-looking and elegant.
The flute’s design has a purpose: to prevent carbonation from dissipating, which allows for long bubble streams that make the wine sparkle. The downside? There’s not enough room in flutes to adequately sniff the wine.
Champagne coupes are evocative of the golden era of the 1920s, and they still have a place in your stemware collection. These wine glasses are not ideal for holding sparkling wine, as the wine will lose effervescence almost instantly. But they’re perfect for Champagne cocktails.
Coupe wine glasses are a great choice for thematic parties and building Champagne towers. For high-end Champagne, you’re better off with flute wine glasses or something similar to allow those pearly bubbles to shine.
Although the size and shape of coupe glasses invite you to hold them with your palm—as you would do with a Brandy snifter—it isn’t recommended. This will warm your beverage too quickly.
Hold coupe glasses by the stem, using the thumb and middle finger on your other hand to keep things steady. These types of stemware are known for spilling easily, so you want to be careful. Leave your drink on the table when possible, and pick it up each time you want to sip.
Unlike coupe glasses, Champagne flutes are universal. No celebration is complete without sparkling wine, and flute glasses won’t disappoint. They look and feel good and make sparkling wine show its best.
Use flute glasses for formal dinner parties, casual get-togethers, and pool parties alike. They make any event more memorable. Of course, not all Champagne flutes are created equal. Some are made of sturdy glass while others are mouth-blown and made with thin crystal. A nice set of Champagne flutes always live up to the hype.
Champagne flutes are never as heavy as red or white wine glasses, so you can hold them for hours and not get tired. Hold champagne flutes by the stem to avoid smudging the bowl with your fingers, especially if fried finger foods are being served.
Hold the flute from the stem with your thumb and index finger, and keep it close to your chest for extra support. And don’t worry—with this type of glassware, there’s no need for swirling your wine.
We love coupe glasses for their historical significance and retro look. However, flutes are most wine lovers’ stemware of choice for anything sparkling. You can still use coupe glasses for cocktails or 1920s dinner parties, but only pour your finest Champagne in these if you’re okay with them losing some of their sparkle.
The quality of the wine glasses you choose is what matters most. That’s why you should always purchase wine glasses online from a reputable retailer to ensure they’re of the highest quality.
]]>So, how to choose wine gifts for mom? That’s easy. Wine is a lovely present, but the world of wine is more complex than that. There are plenty of wine accessories and glassware gifts to make wine drinking much more exciting. Here’s how to choose the best wine gifts for mom.
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For a good wine gift, start with wine. Of course, gifting wine can be challenging. We all like different things. The question is, how much is your mom into wine? If she enjoys wine often, she certainly has a type, and knowing what it is can help you get the right bottle.
If your mom is not a regular wine drinker, choose a nice, fruity wine from a warm region. Something simple and easygoing. There’s approachable wine in all categories, so don’t overthink it. Gifting wine is also a great opportunity to share your favorite wines with your family.
Wine is a lovely gift, but consider gifting your mom a new set of wine glasses as well. Mouth-blown crystal stemware is a shiny way to show how much you care.
Glassware is both functional and ornamental, which makes it a perfect gift. And wine glasses are the most beautiful glassware category. These crystal pieces can also elevate your mom and family’s wine-drinking experience. After all, wine tastes better when poured into nice glasses.
Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to splurge and upgrade mom’s glassware collection. She’ll think of you whenever she pours a glass of wine for herself and her guests.
Wine accessories come in all shapes and sizes, making a wine lover’s life easier in different ways. Unlike wine, accessories are gifts your loved ones can repeatedly use, making them more thoughtful.
Bottle openers are always a good wine gift for Mother’s Day and any other occasion. There are many types of wine openers to choose from, and it seems nobody has enough of these handy gadgets.
Wine decanters and carafes are also beautiful gifts, especially high-quality ones. Consider adding a nice polishing cloth to make your mom smile, especially if she deals with glassware often. Wine accessories don’t need to be expensive—they must be well made, though.
Let’s celebrate mom properly, which means opening a bottle of wine and spending time around the table. You might not share your mother’s interest in wine, or perhaps she is not as into fermented grape juice as you, but that’s the beauty of it—wine creates memorable moments, no matter your experience.
This Mother’s Day, ensure everyone’s glasses are full and celebrate life and family. Gift mom a set of fine wine glasses and perhaps a nice-looking decanter or a handy wine accessory. Wine is meant to be shared, and it’s also a lovely way to say thanks!
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The most common types of bottle openers are: the waiter’s friend, the winged corkscrew, the electric corkscrew, and the slick two-prong cork puller. Wine lovers and enthusiasts often collect these tools; they are just as important as the wine and type of glassware when it comes to enjoying a bottle of wine with friends and family. Read on to learn more about these corkscrews and find your favorite.
The most affordable type of corkscrew is the waiter’s friend, or waiter’s corkscrew. It's one of the simplest and most effective tools to open most types of wine bottles. These corkscrews can have one or two notches on the lever, and they come with a handy blade to cut the bottle’s capsule.
The best thing about the ‘sommelier’s knife’ is that you can easily carry it in your pocket. A word of warning: you might struggle to pull out old corks, leading to a crumbled cork or a chipped bottle!
The anthropomorphic shape of the winged corkscrew makes it a popular item—it looks like a happy little person raising their arms while you twist the screw. Also known as butterfly screws, these come in all shapes and sizes and are clever little gadgets.
The arms or levers rise as the worm enters the cork. Push the levers down and watch the cork rise effortlessly. The downside? You can’t carry a winged corkscrew in your pocket.
Electric corkscrews have been around for a while now. Often bulky and not precisely elegant, these gadgets use an electric motor to spin the worm, pulling corks out smoothly.
Although not recommended for nice dinner parties or fine-dining scenarios, electric corkscrews have proven ideal for people with mobility issues or lack of pull strength for whatever reason. Electric corkscrews have gotten more sophisticated and are easier to use than ever; simply push a button. Of course, make sure the corkscrew’s battery is charged first!
This type of corkscrew doesn’t have a screw but two thin metallic prongs that you must slide between the bottle’s neck and the cork. Gently twist and watch even the most stubborn corks come right out.
Two-prong corkscrews are particularly good for delicate and crumbly corks, often like those in old wine bottles, as the prongs don’t damage the cork.
Mounted corkscrews have been around since the 1800s and are some of the easiest to use. However, they can still be complicated since you must mount them on a wall or counter.
Mounted corkscrews are screwed or clamped to a surface, supporting a lever that pulls the corkscrew’s worm. If you have a home bar, a mounted corkscrew is not a bad idea, but it’s not for everyone. There’s no place for a mounted corkscrew in most standard dining rooms.
A quick search reveals there are many unusual ways of opening wine bottles. People have tried it all, from tapping a bottle open by banging it against a wall with a shoe to using a lighter to force the cork out due to the expansion of the air trapped inside the bottle. We are certainly creative when thirsty!
However, wine is more delicate than you may think, and opening bottles properly is safer and better for the overall wine tasting experience. Find the corkscrew that works for you, and don’t leave your home without it; you never know when you might need it! Be the hero.
More often than not, the best corkscrew is the one you have in hand. And although every bottle opener is different, and you probably prefer using one type over the others, they all do the job just right.
If you have to choose, a waiter’s friend is a good alternative to have handy, especially when you’re on the go. However, consider building a collection of different bottle openers at home—it’s part of being a wine enthusiast!
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The standard 750ml wine bottle size is by far the most common in today’s market. Over 90% of wine is bottled and shipped in standard bottles. This doesn’t mean standard bottles are your only option; smaller and larger wine bottle sizes exist, and they’re just as fun as the good old 750ml bottle.
Of course, the size you choose will depend on how much wine you need for a specific event. With over a dozen available bottle sizes, these are the ones you'll want to get to know better.
You’ve undoubtedly seen these single-serving wine bottles in hotel mini-bars and airplanes. They’re designed to let you enjoy a glass of wine on the go. Many people collect split bottles, too, as they’re cute little versions of regular bottles.
Sparkling wine is the most common type of wine for these bottles, but you’ll also find other types. A split or piccolo bottle is equal to one handsomely filled wine glass.
Half bottles are pretty-looking versions of your favorite wines. There is a wide selection of half-sized bottles, and they offer a different experience than standard bottles. Half or demi bottles are ideal for dinner for two, especially on weeknights when you want to drink only a glass or two.
This small format bottle has benefits, but two of these can be more expensive than a standard bottle. Dessert wine often comes in a demi.
The 750 ml bottle became the standard in the 1970s, as a result of European legislation standardizing the continent’s wine industry. Other countries soon followed suit.
Today, most cellars and wine refrigerators are built to accommodate this universal bottle size, so the chances of going back to other dimensions, such as the one-liter bottle, are slim. Standard bottles are ideal for dinner parties of up to five people, although you can always have a few extra bottles in the back.
One liter bottles used to be common a few decades ago, but now they are pretty rare. When the metric system was adopted in France in the late 1800s and in Great Britain a few decades later, adopting the one-liter bottle made sense.
However, some traditions are stronger than others, and the 750 ml bottle people had used for centuries prevailed. Occasionally, wineries might release one liter bottles to commemorate uncommon vintages and stand out in the wine aisles.
Magnum bottles are relatively common, especially for sparkling and age-worthy red wines. These bottles are equivalent to two standard bottles, so they’re suitable even for small get-togethers with a couple of friends.
Magnums are often more expensive than their equivalent in standard bottles, and that’s because the wine inside the bottle is less exposed to air and light; therefore, it ages better. Magnum bottles are ideal for medium- to long-term storage if you have a big enough storage space for these large bottles!
After the magnum, there are large-format bottle sizes like Jeroboam, Imperial, Salmanazar, and the mighty 15-liter Nebuchadnezzar. And although these sizes are rare, they’re experiences worth living.
The next time you host a party, consider opening one of these large-format bottles to add some flair to your event. And always have a split or half bottle of your favorite wine in the fridge for those moments when you want a glass of wine without committing to a standard bottle.
There’s a wine bottle size for every occasion, whether you’re enjoying a glass alone or entertaining a large party. Bottle sizes also affect how your guests perceive the wine and even the wine’s shelf life.
Most wine comes in standard bottles, yes, and not all are available in other formats. However, when given the opportunity, open bottles of different sizes and see how they affect your drinking experience.
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