5 Wine Myths
Wine is a beloved beverage the world over.
So it’s no surprise that with such a worldwide recognition that wine has been the victim of a few less-than-true myths. We decided to look at five common wine myths that just don’t seem to go away that need immediate debunking.
1. Wine must be served at room temperature
This rule was applicable back in the 19th century when room temperatures were more around 17° celsius or less. Now, however, the average room temperature is more around 21° or more. Because of this, it’s not uncommon to simply chill your wine in the fridge for about 15 – 20 minutes before opening it.
2. Wine must breathe for best quality
There are certain wines where opening the bottle and letting it breathe for a while helps it reach its best quality but, overall, the majority of wines do not require this treatment – nor do they require decanting. It will always be more likely that you can simply open the bottle and enjoy the wine than it is that you’ll have to let it breathe.
3. All wines get better with age
This is still applicable to certain wines but most wines these days do not get substantially better with age. Most wineries now create wines to be consumed between 1 to 4 years of their making. Red wines probably won’t outlast four years while whites should be consumed within about 2 years.
4. Wine cellars are necessary to maintain good wine
As long as you have a place where the wine can rest with minimal temperature changes and moisture, you really don’t need a wine cellar to ensure wine keeps. A good wine stack in a consistent environment will do the job just as well.
5. The French created Sparkling Wine
While there is absolutely no doubt that the French created champagne, they weren’t actually responsible for creating sparkling wine. Almost 19 years before monk Dom Pérignon created champagne, sparkling wine came into being in England. However, Dom Pérignon is still responsible for many of key elements of the champagne style such as blending different grapes and vintages and using corks and metal foil to cause a secondary fermentation process.
What other myths do you know about that deserve debunking? Share them with us in the comments.
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