Ways to Increase Your Enjoyment of Inexpensive Wine

Yes, the term 'cheap wine' is relative. For some, cheap wine may mean 'Two Buck Chuck'. Others may consider any wine under $20 inexpensive. In any case, with today's economic climate it's no surprise that people are drinking less expensive wine.

To be specific, the volume of wine sales is up but the price per bottle is down. Apparently, people are still enjoying wine but are spending less money per bottle. There are a few simple things you can do to bring the best attributes out of a bottle of cheap wine - whatever your definition of that term may be.

Increase the enjoyment of cheap wine by remembering this acronym: TAG - Temperature, Aeration and Glass. Here are the specifics:

Enjoy cheap wine at the right Temperature.

Wine drinkers commonly believe that red wines should be enjoyed at room temperature and white wines should be chilled. While this is generally true, red wines are often served too warm and white wines are frequently served too cold. To get the best taste from your cheap wine, drink it at the proper temperature - which allows the wine to open up and release its bouquet.

The optimal serving temperature for wine varies depending on the variety of grape and the growing region. There are a few simple guidelines to follow, however, that will enhance the flavor of cheap wine:

~ Bright, tart white wines should be enjoyed at between 47-51 degrees F
~ Champaign and sparkling wine are best at 50-54 degrees F
~ Buttery, rich white wines taste best at around 58-60 degrees F
~ Young, light red wines should be served at 60-64 degrees F
~ Dark, heavy red wines are better when enjoyed between 62-67 degrees F

Typical home refrigerators range between 35 to 45 degrees F which is too cold for most white wines. If you chill inexpensive white wine in the refrigerator, remove it a few minutes prior to serving. For maximum taste appeal, it's best not to drink any wine above 70 degrees.

Enjoy cheap wine with the proper Aeration.

Inexpensive wines must have time to breathe. Exposing cheap wine to air provides a gentle oxidation to occur, which gives wine a smoother and more balanced taste - mellowing the wine by softening the tannins. Additionally, wine aeration reduces the high carbon dioxide levels often found in less expensive wines, thereby allowing their true bouquet to come forward so you can enjoy the full wine taste.

Generally, cheaper wine needs to aerate longer. It may take up to two hours of aeration before the cheap wine pleases your palette. With periodic sampling, you'll know when the wine is ready to enjoy.

Simply opening a bottle of cheap wine and allowing it to sit on the counter does not aerate your wine properly; the narrow neck of the wine bottle prevents enough air from reaching the wine. For better (and quicker) aeration, you should expose a larger surface area of the wine to oxygen.

There is a difference between aerating and decanting wines. Aerating allows the wine to breathe by exposing it to air. Decanting filters the sediment, which usually is not an issue with less expensive wines. Here are a few low tech suggestions for aerating cheap wine:

~ Gently swirl the wine around in your glass, allowing it to climb up the sides.
~ Pour a glass of wine and then pour that glass into another glass, back and forth.
~ Maximize the pouring distance from the bottle to the glass (careful not to spill).
~ Pour a glass and let sit for an hour or two as it slowly aerates in your wine glass.

Enjoy cheap wine in the correct Glass.

Varietal-specific glasses make less expensive wines taste better. Over the years, wine glass manufacturers have perfected the shape and size of wine glasses. The correct glass actually directs the wine to the proper sensory location on your tongue and allows the wine bouquet to funnel up the nose. It does make a difference. Try it.

It's best to enjoy your red wine in a larger wine glass with a bigger bowl. A smaller wine glass with a little rim and bowl is more appropriate for white wine because it concentrates the aromas.

If you don't want to spend more on your wine glasses than you spend on your wine, try multi-purpose wine glasses and keep these tips in mind:

~ Have just two sizes, bigger wine glasses for red wine and smaller wine glasses for white wine.
~ Always hold the wine glass by the stem to avoid warming the wine with your body temperature.
~ If using stem-less wine glasses, place your wine on a surface between sips - again so you don't warm the wine by holding onto it.
~ Pour red wine into a glass until the glass is half full; stop at the widest part of the bowl to ensure proper aeration and ample swirling space.

Cheers. Santé. Proost. Salud. Kampai. Skål. Cin cin. Sanitas bona.

Remember:
Drink wine within five days of opening it.
Please drink responsibly.
Don't read this if you are under 21 years of age.
Always select a designated driver.

Sources:
Better Tasting Wine
MSN.com
Slainte in different countries