1. Choose a reliable supplier or buy your wine only from specialized shops.

2. One of the key elements for serving wine is the right temperature. It is often the subject of discussion among wine-lovers and quite often people drink their white wine too chilled, and the red – too warm. Serving wine at the perfect temperature is crucial if you want to reveal its best features and to help your guests appreciate and enjoy its qualities at their highest; of course, you should also pair it with the right food.

At temperatures below 6° C the release of aromas decreases dramatically, together with our ability to perceive them. Serving wine colder than that is an open denial of acknowledging its aromas and it could be an attempt to mask unwanted aromas in a lower quality wine. Under certain temperatures red wine also looses a part of its aroma, and the tannins become stiff and rough. On the other hand, at temperatures above 20° C alcohol evaporates faster from the wine, a stinging feeling of warmth dominates and the wine appears flat and featureless. White wines are often served directly from the fridge, and red wines are corked at “room temperature”; neither is right. These are the temperatures that will allow the wine to reveal its full potential:

• sparkling wines – 6-8° C;
• light, fresh white wines from the last vintage, not aged in oak – 8-10° C;
• more full-bodied white wines, aged or fermented in oak; rosés – 10-12° C;
• young red wines and fruity wines with a light body and well-defined freshness – 12-14° C;
• full-bodied red wines and porto – 17-18° C (what is considered “room temperature”);
• sweet wines – 6-8° C.

The quickest, most reliable manner of cooling a warm bottle of wine is to put it into an ice bucket filled up to three quarters of its volume with an equal proportion of ice and cold water. Adding a few tablespoons of sea salt will speed up the process. In water a larger area of the bottle is exposed to a colder environment and the cooling process happens faster than if you use ice only. To chill wines that are at room temperature of 22-24° C and prepare them for consumption we need to take into account the following times:

• for full-bodied red wines – 5 minutes;
• for fruity, light-bodied red wines – 15 minutes;
• for white wines – 15-25 minutes;
• for sparkling wines and champagne – 30 minutes.

If your palate tells you the wine is too chilled, the best way to warm it up is to warm its glass in your hands. Never add ice to wine, as it waters down the flavour and suppresses the aroma. A wine thermometer can come in handy if you want to be exact about the temperature of the wine.

3. Choose the right tool for opening the bottle. A corkscrew is undoubtedly the most secure, safe and proper tool to open a wine (unless it is with a screw cap). There is a huge diversity of corkscrew shapes and designs available on the market but the classic two-step corkscrew is the most reliable one.

4. Should you let the wine breathe for a while? Opening the wine and letting it breathe in the bottle is pointless. For an efficient process you have to pour the wine in a decanter or a carafe; thus facilitating its contact with air. In the process the aroma is released, and the flavour softens, especially with young red wines produced from high tannin content varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Mavrud, Nebbiolo, Rubin, Syrah.

5. To decant or not to decant? In contrast to aeration decanting serves to separate the sediment which forms during the ageing process of red wines. It forms in wines which are kept in certain conditions – horizontal bottles, in cellars without any sun or artificial light, at a constant cool temperature (10-14° C) and optimal humidity. Direct sunlight, temperature fluctuations and dry air lead to premature ageing of the wine and cause the cork to dry out. Before decanting a wine leave the bottle in an upright position for some time to allow the sediment to settle down on the bottom. Open it carefully and wipe the neck with a fine cotton cloth to remove any mould there. Set the decanter and the bottle neck against a source of light – a candle, for example – and start pouring carefully. Stop when you see the sediment starting to come out.

6. Choose the right glasses. Despite the huge diversity of styles and shapes the standard distinction is between champagne, white wine glass and red wine glasses. The glass needs to be clean, made of transparent, thin glass, with a comfortable, easy-to-hold stem, and a foot wide enough for it to be stable. A word of advice – for everyday use buy glasses you can afford to see broken. Of course, it is a good idea to provide high quality crystal glasses by leading glass-makers for special occasions.

7. How much wine should you pour in the glass? The glasses have to be filled up to a third of their volume, or to their widest girt maximum. This provides enough room for aeration when you swirl your glass. Thus the aroma is released faster and the wine qualities are able to develop. Sparkling wines and champagne form an exception to this rule – they are poured to within an inch from the rim of the glass to enhance bubble play.

8. You plan a wine party or dinner? Here are some basic rules if you choose to serve more than one type of wine regarding the order of serving:

• White wines are served before reds. Rosés are served after whites and before red wines.
• Wines with lower alcohol content are served before wines with higher alcohol content.
• Young wines are served before aged ones.
• Lighter-bodied wines are served before complex wines with a fuller body.
• Wines which are served chilled come before wines served at a warmer temperature.
• More aromatic wines are served before wines with a more delicate aroma.
• Dry wines are served before sweet wines.
• Dry sparkling wines are served in the beginning and sweet sparkling wines – after the dry and still wines, at the end of the dinner.

9. Should you take the season into consideration when choosing wine? To a certain extent whites, sparkling wines and rosés are the preferred types for the summer as they are served chilled and have a cooling effect. Red wines of the Pinot Noir and Gamza varieties have a lighter body and are fresh enough to be cooled down to 14° C for serving in the summer. Generally red wines and more full-bodied complex wines are served in the winter. In any case the key factor is your individual preference.

10. How much should you drink? Wine contains antioxidants which help avoid premature ageing of the cells by releasing free radicals. To benefit from this healthy effect men should drink not more than half a litre of wine per day, and women – not more than 350 ml. Excessive drinking can lead to a long-term indisposition and to emotional and social problems.

Zhivka Trencheva, sommelier