8 Things a Real Wine-Lover Would Never Do

By Food & Wine
Updated January 15, 2016
Credit: Courtesy of PureWow
Oh, dry and delicious Merlot. How you quench our thirst after a long-ass day crunching numbers/chasing babies/running the world. But, the next time you go to pour yourself a glass, keep in mind that there are a couple of serious vino no-no’s. We caught up with Kristin Mauritz and Meredith Rakel, sommeliers at Del Frisco’s Grille New York, to find out eight things a real wine-lover would never do.This piece originally appeared on PureWow.
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They'd Never Use Ice Cubes To Chill Wine

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Look, we know you love your Pinot on the rocks, but all it does is water down the taste. Instead, try chilling the bottle in the freezer for 15 minutes. Or, you know, the Corkcicle.

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Or Drink Wine From A Glass That's Warm

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If your goblet just came out of the dishwasher, give it a chance to cool down — or run it under the cold tap for a minute or two. The heat can taint your first impression of the wine — which a real wine lover would never allow.

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They'd Never Serve Red At Room Temperature

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When a bottle is served borderline warm, the varying levels of tannin can seem harsher — making the wine less pleasing to drink. Instead, it’s better if it’s just slightly chilled. (Five minutes in the fridge should do the trick.)

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Or Sip Champagne From A Flute

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Champagne flutes were actually designed to trap the bubbles so that they flowed vertically for aesthetic purposes. The only problem? They also trap the scent of the wine, making it impossible to get a whiff with each sip (a major part of the experience). Instead, it’s better to enjoy Champs from a white wine or universal glass.

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They'd Never Put Champagne In A Mimosa

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Champagne is best enjoyed in its pure form. A real wine lover would only use prosecco- — or another sparkling wine — when mixing with OJ.

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They Know That A Waiter's Corkscrew Is King

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Forget all the fancy contraptions designed to open wine — a waiter’s cork screw provides more control, is faster and offers way more solutions for salvaging a broken or crumbling cork than any electronic contraption.

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They'd Never Store Wine In Direct Sunlight

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Even if it’s in your wine fridge, direct sun can “cook” a wine and change its flavor profile from fresh and ripe to that of a more concentrated, stewed fruit. (It can also make it taste burnt. Ew.)

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They'd Toss 4-Day Old Wine

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You can re-cork it all you want, but as soon as oxygen is introduced, the bottle starts to fall flat. Four days may even be a stretch — all the more reason to finish the entire thing when you first open it up.

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