10 Questions About Wine You Always Wanted To Ask

In my 30 year experience as a fine wine merchant and wine educator, I have often come across people asking very similar questions about wine. Here I selected ten most frequently asked questions, and I hope that my answers would be helpful to the people who are just getting acquainted with the world of wine, or anyone who is just wondering about those issues. If you have any other questions or comments, don't hesitate to shoot me an e-mail: towine@aol.com

-Tony Russo.

1. Do wines get better with the price?

Wine prices range from $2 buck chuck to wines costing $15,000. Per bottle. Of course, the $15,000 price tag is reflecting wines rarity and sometimes its age, and certainly supply and demand. In a similar way, $2 price indicates an oversupply of sometimes good wine, but in most cases very mediocre one. For the average consumer, wines ranging between $10 and $20 per bottle will provide access to some splendid wine values from all around the world.

2. White wine or Red wine, which is better for your health?

Well established medical studies over the past 15 years have proven that the moderate consumption of Red Wine has been linked to lower cholesterol and increased heart health. The skins of Red Grapes naturally contain ”Reservatrol” which promotes heart benefits.

3. What is the secret to pairing wine with food?

The general rule has always been red wine with red meat, and white wine with white meats. With the many choices we all have today of different ethnic cuisines, and of wonderful wines from every corner of the globe, these guidelines have many exceptions. Find a knowledgable wine merchant and let him/her guide you to that perfect wine and food to match. Do you know of anyone who can fill that role?

4. How do I make sense of wine ratings?

Find a wine writer who likes the same kind of wines you like, for example, crisp dry white wines or full bodied red wines and follow their opinion. Many people also think most writers taste and drink too much wine anyway, LOL.

5. How do I order wine at a restaurant?

A good restaurant server, even if they don’t have a sommelier (an expert wine advisor) should know the flavors in most of the dishes being offered, and should know which wines on their list will best compliment those dishes. Don’t forget to tell the server or sommelier if you prefer full bodied reds or if you are partial to white wines etc…

6. Screw tops or corks, what’s the difference?

Several years ago, due to an overuse of cork finished wines, about 5% of all cork finished wines had a cork tainted defect, which neutralized the taste of the wines. In an attempt to overcome this problem many winemakers around the world decided to finish their wines with a screw top closure (called a Stelvin capsule). This Stelvin closure is surprisingly more expensive than the cork finished process, but it does eliminate the cork tainted wine problem. Does the type of wine closure affect your buying decision?

7. Why do they add sulfites to wine?

Sulfer is and has been, since biblical times the best cleanser and preservative for many products. It is especially effective because its smell will dissapear within several seconds of opening the product. A few years ago, several people died from sulfur allergies after consuming salad from a fast food salad bar which treated the lettuce with sulfur so it wouldn’t turn brown. The Federal government has since set stringent guidelines on the use of sulfur and sulfites in wine, the amount of sulfites in all the wines produced in the USA is parts per million, but sulfites will also naturally occur when grapes become wine. Without the presence of sulfites the wine produced would be extremely unstable. Even Organic wines contain trace elelments of sulfites.

8. What is the best way to store wine?

When almost all wines were corked finished, the preferred way to store wine was on its side so that some wine always stayed in contact with the cork keeping it moist and fully expanded, so that the cork closure remained tight. Now with synthetic corks and Stelvin closures that is not necessary.  Also wine should be stored in a cool place, 55 to 65 F, in vibration free place, and not in direct sunlight.

9. What does Vintage mean in a wine and is it important?

Vintage on a wine bottle idicates the year, in which the grapes were harvested. Most popular priced wines are blends of grapes from many different areas and the same vintage is not so important. In more expensive wines like Bordeaux, vintage does play a role and some vintage years indicate higher quality wine than others.

10.  What is the difference between sweet wines and dry wines?

Sweet wines are generally higher in alchohol, over 15% and are not meant to be consumed with foods but as before or after dinner beverages for example, Port, Sherry, Vermouth, Ice Wine, Sauterns etc… Dry wines generally range in alchohol between 11 and 14.5% and are meant to be drunk as compliments to food, for example Chardonnay,  Cabernet sauvignon, Merlot etc…