The reason why wines needs to breathe, or age, is because of tannins. Tannins can transfer into wine during the fermentation process from seeds and skins of grapes. Fuller flavors will begin to surface when the tannins, which acts like a natural presevative, begin to break down. White wines and some red wines have low levels of these and therefore do not need aging, or periods of breathing, before drinking. Generally all red wines can benefit from aeration, but those that are lighter and fruitier generally don't require much aeration.

The term breathing refers to the mixing of oxygen with wine allowing the breakdown of tannins. When you use a decanter your are allowing the wine to mix with oxygen, allowing fuller flavors engulf your taste buds.

If you choose to allow your wine to breathe, you still have one more decision to make. Do you use a decanter or an aerator? If you have at least an hour to let your wine breathe, then go ahead and use your decanter. This is plenty of time for your wine to mix with oxygen and for its full flavors to emerge.Just pour the wine into the decanter and let it sit for a while.Surface area is key to the amount of oxygen that can reach the wine; the more area, the sooner you can enjoy it.

If you just opened a bottle of wine five minutes before guests arrived, or you are only wanting to drink a single glass, decantors may not be the best way to aerate your wine.An aerator achieves the same end result as a decanter but in a fraction of the time. Two types of aerators are available: one that is seperate from the bottle, and one that attches as a spout directly in the bottle of wine.

The Vinturi essential wine aerator allows you to speed up the breathing process by mixing the perfect amount of air for the perfect amount of time to bring out the color, aroma, and flavor of your wines. All you do is pour your glass of wine through the aerator. It comes with a drip free stand so there is no mess to clean up.

The second option, which is more user friendly especially for multi-tasking person, is the Wine Finer . This easy to use aerator allows you to pour your perfectly aerated glass of wine and enjoy in an instant. After opening your bottle, just place the Wine Finer into the bottle and pour a glass of wine, you will hear "gurgling" noises which is the sound of the wine being aerated. With little effort you have brought out the full flavors from your wine.

So before you decide whether to get yourself a decanter or an aerator, consider your time constraints. Make sure you have the time to wait for the decanter or be safe and allow your wine to breath immediately with Vinturi or Wine Finer.

Post from: Sterling Silver Goblet

Get the Most from your Wine

Wood. As mentioned previously, wine is drunk from wooden cups in some places but it does have some major flaws. Stains are the first major issue, which more often than not occur as a result of red wine drinking. Even the less porous harder woods fall victim to this fate before long. Secondly, when wood is in contact with liquid from prolonged periods it starts to rot. So you would have to spend time making sure it was bone dry after using each time.

Metal. If you have ever drunk wine from a metal cup you will know it’s not the best experience ever. something called 'displacement' takes place with lots of wines as a result of the high ion count in most metals. This means that when the wine comes into contact with the metal it absorbs a number of the ions and effects the flavour. This is why you often pick up metallic notes when drink from this type of cup. Also, because of its very heat-conductive qualities, almost any other material would keep the wine cooler when you’re holding it

Ceramic.  Like glass, ceramic is non porous, does not release any of its qualities into the wine, and can be easily cleaned with a glass cloth. For these reasons it utilised an an alternative, however it will never be as popular as glass due to one elemental floor - you can't see through it. A large part of the experience of enjoying a fine wine is watching it swirl around the glass, admiring its body. Since glass was first developed, we have had the very simple and instinctive desire for this.

Post from: Sterling Silver Goblet

Why Is That We Only Really Drink Wine Out Of Glasses

As more and more wine makers discovered Chardonnay, the fine wine began to grow quite well in South Africa and other areas as well.  With it being a non aroma type wine, oak seems to work very well with it.  The richest and most complex are American and French Chardonnay, which are also among the most preferred white wines.  Even though it does suffer from fatigue, the flavor and richness of this wine will keep it loved by many for years to come.

Chardonnay originated from the Burgundy and Champagne area of France.  Although white Burgundy is a popular wine that is prepared with Aligote, a lesser known grape, the fact remains that white Burgundy can’t be made without the use of Chardonnay grape.  What this goes to show, is that Chardonnay grapes have more than a few uses.

In appearance, Chardonnay grapesare green in color with thin skins.  The grape is a result of the Pinot and Croatian Blanc grape, which are extinct to this day.  Chardonnay on the other hand is still popular, fermented and aged using oak barrels that help to bring out the vanilla flavor the wine is well known for.  It can also be aged and fermented using bottles, although it won’t age quite as much as red wine.

Almost all Chardonnay wines are considered to be chilled, making them work extremely well with dishes that contain butter and cheeses.Also the wines have less acid content too, which makes them work well along with the seafood.  There are a lot of food that you can pair Chardonnay with, which is what makes it so popular.  A lot of fine restaurants serve it as well, especially Italian and seafood restaurants.

The Chardonnay grape can also be used in making Champagne and other types of sparkling wines.  Although Chardonnay wine is the most popular use, there are several other uses for the grape that lead to some truly fine wines.  Oak is often times used with the wine as well, which provides it with some great flavors as it ages.  Although it can be a bit on the expensive side, it still remains one of the most preferred types of wine.  You can find it at any wine or alcohol store - making it a great addition to your wine or drink collection.

Post from: Sterling Silver Goblet

An Introduction To Chardonnay