While on a phone call to about my up coming cruise I got to talking to one of the cruise line’s sommeliers. The topic of wine temps came up. When asked about the wine temps for red and white this is the response I got… ‘Service temperatures are vital to wine appreciation and enjoyment’!

The Sommelier said they generally serve their light simple inexpensive wines at 8 degrees C to 13 degrees C, most between 10 and 13 degrees C and fine full bodied white wines between 14-16 degrees C.

The better the quality of the wine ,the warmer it can be. The poorer quality       the wine the more it gains by cooling. So the majority of white wines should be chilled- and not served ice cold.

The average fridge temp is approx. 5C so white wine should reach the proper serving temp in about 2-3 hours. It is better to over do it then to under do it since wine will heat to room temperature very quickly.

Something to keep in mind when cooling your wine- in an ice bucket it will cool down 1 degrees F per minute. In the fridge on the other hand it will take about 7-8 minutes to achieve a drop of 1 degree F. So if you’re caught short it’s faster in an ice bucket.

So for simplicity sake the easiest way to serve your wine at the proper temperature is to:

RED WINE:

Place in the fridge for for 1/2 hour before serving.

WHITE WINE:

Can stay in the fridge but remove it 1/2 hour before you serve it.

Cheers/Salut 
Karen (Wine Sense- Brandon)

Filed under: General by WineSense

One of the most popular wines at my neighbourhood barbecues is the 2009 Limited Edition Australian Petit Verdot. Everyone likes it because of its balance of blackberry and black current fruitiness and spice. It’s smooth tannins match perfectly with a good ribeye or t-bone steak. Because of its popularity and my dwindling supply- I’ve been hesitant to bring out too many bottles lately.

Of course one of the reasons Limited Edition wines are so popular is that they are… Limited. Unfortunately that’s the one drawback- you can really enjoy a Limited Edition wine and may never see it again (better buy two!). Once in a while though Winexpert is able to secure a long term source of raw materials for a previous Limited Edition wine.

And they’ve done it again! Winexpert is releasing an Australian Petit Verdot in its new Selection International crushed grapeskin line (experience enhance body, fuller mouth-feel, softer tannins and richer colour). At the end of August I will be able to replenish my cellar with Australian Petit Verdot.

My neighbours will be so happy.

Cheers,

Bruce, Manager (Wine Sense- Pembina Hwy)

Filed under: Wine, New Products by WineSense

The other night I strolled out onto my back porch with a large glass of Selection Internaitonal Spanish Rose and noticed my neighbour staring at me. He had that “real men don’t drink pink wine” look on his face. He asked me what it was and I explained that it was one of my all-time favourite wines. I told him that it’s great to drink on its own but pairs up well with a lot of food. I was barbequing chicken that night and Spanish Rose goes great with any grilled meat with barbeque sauce.

I was feeling generous and had another bottle in the fridge so I gave it to my inquisitive and skeptic neighbour. To no surprise  he and his wife were raving ab0ut the wine later that night.

If you’re a skeptic or too ‘manly’ and haven’t yet tried the Selection International Spanish Rose- you should.  Real men do drink pink wine!

Cheers,

Bob, Manager (Wine Sense- Springfield Rd)

P.S. Spanish Rose is a seasonal wine and there’s only a few left!

Filed under: General, Wine by WineSense

Preamble- Gamay Nouveau (also known as Beaujolais Nouveau) is France’s traditional wine made to celebrate the year’s harvest. It is picked, fermented and ready to drink in 8 weeks. Selection International Gamay Nouveau allows you the same experience!

Last year when the Selection International Gamay Nouveau was introduced, I made the first kit we received at my store. On bottling day, my wife and I tasted the half bottle that we always have left over when bottling. It was amazing, so…. I made a second one right away.

I knew the first batch would go fast, which it did. When we bottled the second batch, my wife commented that the Gamay Nouveau would make a good summer wine. Would there be any left for summer? We looked at each other and laughed. There was no way it would last. I bought a 3rd kit and started it this past May and bottled it at the end of June- and we had 30 bottles ready for this summer and we were set!

Gamay Nouveau is a great summer wine. Served with a slight chill on a hot day, it’s amazing. Great on it’s own or with lighter summer foods it has been a crown pleaser. I will definitely be making an extra Gamay Nouveau for next summer.

Cheers,

Bruce, Manager (Wine Sense- Pembina Hwy)

Filed under: Wine, New Products by WineSense