Wine Etiquette
1. How do I hold my wine glass?
The proper way to hold any style of wine glass is by the stem. This keeps fingerprints off the bowl and keeps your hand from heating the wine.
2. Why do we swirl wine?
Swirling the wine serves many purposes, but visually it allows you to observe the body of the wine. “Good legs” may indicate a thicker body and a higher alcohol content and/or sweetness level. It also exposes the wine to more oxygen, which encourages the release of the fragrances within the wine. This may take a bit if practice, don’t be embarrassed if you spill a little wine the first time you try this!
3. How do I know if a wine is good or not?
The definition of a good wine is one that you enjoy. Do not let others dictate taste to you!
4. Should I clean glasses with cleanser after I use it?
Yes, you need to clean your glasses, but before you clean it make sure you don’t use too much cleanser. If your glass is too slippery, you may not see wine tears.
5. Why do people keep hanging their wine glass upside down?
After you wash glasses, try to hanging upside down. That’s the best way avoiding from dust and smell of cupboard.
6. Can I eat salted food or spicy food before wine?
If you really want to eat something before wine dirking, unsalted water crackers or unflavored French bread are good. Salted food or spicy food are not recommended before drinking, because you cannot taste wine well.
7. Which wine do I drink first? Red or White wine?
White wine is recommended first, because white wine digests faster. Red wine has more tannin and polyphonol, so it takes longer to be absorbed.
8. Any health benefit by drinking wine?
Now there are some intriguing medical studies that say there may be some truth to the folklore that, in small amounts, red wine can help us improve our mental skills and access intellectual thought. The most enthusiastic wine supporters are cardiologists. They believe that wine can play a positive role in maintaining good health and a good diet.
9. Why can’t women drink as much as men?
The answer is not just because women have a lower body weight! Women have only half as much of the enzyme that metabolizes alcohol in their stomach lining as men. That’s why it may take only one oversized glass to make you intoxicated!
10. How about Calories and Carbohydrates in wine?
Tequila, Rum, Vodka, gin and brandy contain no carbohydrates; however, none of these drinks offer health benefits of red wines. And, since most red wines are dry with very little sugar left after fermentation, red wines are naturally low in carbs.
11. What is Moderation?
In the US, drinking in moderation means one glass for women, and one to two glasses for men.
The definition of moderation is different in the United Kingdom and European Union, however. The “sensible limits” in the UK and EU are two to three glasses of red wine per day for women and three to four glasses for men.
