So you’ve been out tasting, visiting Georgia’s wineries and found some wines that you really like. You take them home and want to incorporate this newfound “world of wine” into your “everyday world”. Rather than just opening bottles and drinking them, develop new habits that will enhance your wine drinking experience. These very simple practices will raise the level of your enjoyment at home.
Protect your investment. You do not need to buy a wine refrigerator or build a cellar in the basement (yet), but take care of the wine that you just bought. Driving home, keep it near the air conditioner and don’t leave it in the hot car. At home, beware of sunlight and hot places such as the top of the refrigerator.
Use a clean, dry glass. Glasses that are not clean and dry carry with them the residue of liquids or solids that will change the flavor and nature of the wine that you pour into them.
Smell the cork. While those new to wine drinking may feel pretentious smelling the cork, there is such pleasure in doing so. The cork is akin to an introduction, a handshake that gives you a sense of the wine that you are about to drink.
Pay attention to the temperature of the wine. Don’t worry about actual temperatures, but do try to practice the 10-20 minute rule. Ten to twenty minutes before you intend to pour the wine, put red wine into the refrigerator and take white wine out of the refrigerator.
Let it breathe. This liquid in which you have invested and look forward to drinking has been pent-up in a bottle for months or even years. Open it about 10 minutes before you plan to pour the wine to help it feel at home.
Don’t gulp those last couple of ounces. If you have enjoyed drinking the wine up to that point but are finished with it, just pour it out. Gulping it detracts from the lovely experience you’ve had with the wine and ends your relationship with it on a bad note.
The staff at the Habersham Winery tasting room are happy to answer any questions you may have about the wines you are purchasing. Enjoy!
