Wine snobs may have long turned up their noses at those ignorant of proper wine etiquette, but a group of experts, including professional tasters and Masters of Wine, have challenged several long-held beliefs. According to a report in the Daily Mail, the tradition of letting wine 'breathe' by opening the bottle before drinking does little to improve taste. Wine-taster Martin Isark called the practice 'bunkum', noting that most wines today are palate-friendly and ready to drink.
The experts argue that simply pouring wine into a glass and swirling it is enough to release aromas. For more complex wines, decanting half an hour before drinking can help, but the main reason to decant is to separate sediment. However, modern wines are typically fined and filtered, removing sediment, so decanting is rarely necessary. Vintage port is an exception, as it often contains sediment that should be removed.
Another myth debunked is the idea that a silver spoon in the neck of a sparkling wine bottle preserves bubbles. The spoon has no effect; instead, an open bottle of fizz will keep its bubbles for a few days if refrigerated. A proper sparkling wine stopper is more effective for extending fizziness.
Age is not an indicator of quality, the experts say. Most wines are made to be drunk soon after bottling, and for inexpensive wines, a younger vintage is better to enjoy fruit flavours. The dimple at the bottom of a bottle, called a punt, has no bearing on wine quality, nor does the weight of the glass. Deep punts in sparkling bottles are designed for strength, not quality.
