Ever Wonder? Is Non-Alcoholic Wine Any Good?

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As mentioned last time, non-alcoholic wine is actually is ‘real’ wine that’s been made from fermented grapes. It then undergoes processes to remove all or part of the alcohol. But, the lingering question remains - Is non-alcoholic wine any good?

Non-alcoholic, or Alcohol-free, wines can taste like regular wine in many ways. They go through the same fermentation process as regular wine, so they can have flavors, aromas, tannin, tastes and mouthfeel just like regular wine.

But, to be called a non-alcoholic or alcohol-free wine, it must contain less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). So, whereas a 5-ounce glass of red wine is typically 12 percent to 15 percent alcohol by volume and about 125 calories, a 5-ounce glass of non-alcoholic red wine is 0.5 percent alcohol by volume and about 30 to 35 calories.

This is great if you are watching your calories or simply trying to avoid alcohol. But, there are some drawbacks. By removing the alcohol from wine, there are a few key traits that are also removed.

First, most of the aromas in wine come from the surface of the wine to your nose by evaporating alcohol. That’s why you’ll often see someone swirl their wine glass - it yields more aromas. But, when the alcohol is removed from wine, the aromas no longer have their primary delivery method. And, remember, while your tongue can only perceive sweet, salty and sour, your nose is how you distinguish all the thousands of various flavors. So, no alcohol means it's harder for the aromas to reach your nose.

Secondly, a quality wine is considered to be “balanced” when its elements are harmonious and no single element dominates. These elements include acidity and tannins as well as sweetness (residual sugar), fruit and alcohol. Without alcohol, wines can become too sweet, too acidic or too fruity. And, the lack of alcohol can change the ‘mouthfeel’ such that it will be different than a wine that contains alcohol.

So, non-alcoholic wine can taste like wine in a lot of ways. Some have a good balance of acidity, while others are fruit-forward. Non-alcoholic sparkling wines and white wines often get the closest to tasting and feeling like drinking wines that contain alcohol.

Finally, don’t forget the category of low-calorie or reduced alcohol wines. These wines still have alcohol, just in lower proportions. And they’ll have the best chance of tasting like a regular glass of wine. Cheers!

Ever Wonder? Should You Decant a Wine, Use an Aerator or a Blender?

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Both the use of an aerator and the process of decanting a wine provide the wine with further exposure to oxygen. This typically helps a wine to release any undesirable odors and, more importantly, to help soften the tannins in a red wine.

Young red wines often have bigger, bolder tannin and benefit the most from decanting. Sometimes for hours. But, older red wines are usually a bit more delicate and can quickly lose their character, or go flabby, if decanted.

So, if you are dealing with a young red wine whose tannins are too bold, try pouring it into a wide-base decanter. Then, re-sample it periodically. Usually after an hour or two, the decanting process will have calmed the tannins and you’ll find a noticeable positive difference.

If you are dealing with an older bottle of red wine, try it immediately after pulling the cork. If you detect something odd or the tannins are still too bold, then pour it into a decanter (being especially careful to avoid pouring any sediment into the decanter) and give it 10 to 15 minutes. Then, re-try the wine.

As for an aerator, they are fun pouring accessories, and they do add a bit of oxygen to the wine during the pouring process. But, for really giving a wine some breathing space, give it some time in a broad-based decanter.

And, by the way, forget about “hyper-decanting” a wine in the blender. It may be a trendy on-line thing, but it’s really unnecessary. It can ruin a nice older wine or turn a young red wine into a frothy red drink that has lost its character. Cheers!

Want Your White Wine to Have More Flavor? Don't Serve it So Cold!

Some people really like don’t care for white wine. They say it just doesn’t have as much flavor as red wines.

But, maybe, your experience with white wines has all been with very cold white wines. If you are drinking white wine right out of a standard refrigerator (which is typically 35-40 degrees F) you’re serving it too cold. Heavily chilling wines does cause them to have less flavor.

But, a lightly chilled white wine (50-55° F range) will allow you to experience the wine as it was intended by the winemaker.

A rule-of-thumb that I’ve always used for white wine is that if you are using a standard refrigerator to chill your wine, you should take the bottle of white wine out approximately 30 minutes before you want to serve it. That should leave a light chill on it. Or, if you own a wine refrigerator, you probably already know that it should be set to approximately 50 to 55 degrees F for white wines.

While serving a white wine at a warmer temperature does help to bring out more flavor, remember, the serving temperature of your wine a matter of personal preference. Whatever your preference, enjoy!

Ever Wonder? How is the Best Way to Remove the Foil from a Wine Bottle?

Foil Cutters

Here are a couple of preferred methods for removing the foil from a wine bottle.

When you open a bottle of wine, the first line of defense on the bottle is usually a foil ‘capsule’ that covers the cork. If you have a wine bottle with a twist-off cap, you’re good-to-go. But, if your wine bottle does include a foil capsule, you are going to need to remove it to get to the cork.

Ever wondered how best to remove the foil? Well, there are several methods that include just tearing it off my hand, pulling the capsule up and off the neck of the bottle or just inserting the cork screw directly into the foil and pulling the cork out through the foil. But, let’s focus on two preferred methods - using a wine opener knife and using a specially designed foil cutter.

A Sommelier (a wine steward) will usually use the small knife that unfolds from the end of a corkscrew (see the lower part of photo). This handy little knife can be used to cut around the neck of the bottle just below the rim. Once you’ve cut into the foil, it will come right off and expose the cork for its removal.

The other, simpler method of removing the foil is to use a specially designed foil cutter (shown in the middle and upper part of the photo). They work by simply placing the cutter on top of the bottle, squeezing gently and twisting it around the top of the bottle. The four small circular blades will make a nice even cut around the foil allowing the top of the capsule to come right off.

Like most everything, not all corkscrews and foil cutters are the same. Make the small investment in a nice quality one and it will not only work well but last for years. Cheers!

The Best Type of Wine Opener: A Double-Hinged Waiter's Corkscrew

In the past, I had always used a traditional corkscrew to open a bottle of wine. Now, I use nothing but a wine key or waiter’s corkscrew.

A traditional corkscrew has two arms that lift and a top pull that twists. A wine key, sometimes called a waiter’s corkscrew, has a small knife for cutting the foil capsule that covers the cork and uses a metal fulcrum positioned on the lip of the bottle to create leverage to lift the cork up and out.

A double-hinged waiter’s corkscrew allows you to pull the cork in two steps because it has a double lever system.

Using one may at first seem complex but it’s actually quite simple.

• Place the tip of the screw or “worm” at the center of the cork

• Press down lightly as you twist the corkscrew down into the cork

• Keep turning until just one loop of the corkscrew is left above the cork

• Bend the hinge so that the curved notch sits on the lip of the bottle

• Hold the notch against the bottle lip for leverage with one hand and pull the corkscrew up with the other hand

• Then, switch to the second notch and continue pulling the cork out of the bottle (bottom photos)

• Once the cork is out of the bottle, twist the cork off the worm by hand

It may take some practice to use the waiter’s style corkscrew but once you get the knack, you’ll never go back to what you were previously using. Cheers!