Red Wine
Color of Red Wine
Red wine is made by crushing blue grapes and allowing the skins to soak with the juice. The color comes from the skins. The juice of the blue grape is clear and only gains its color when it is soaked with the grape skins.
Red Wine Stains
Red wine is beautiful, as long as it stays in the glass. Outside of it, it creates unsightly stains on clothing, carpets, or tablecloths. It can happen to anyone, and if it does, it’s wise to act quickly. The sooner you act, the greater the chance the stain will come out. First, blot up as much moisture as possible. Do not rub, as this will only make it worse. Sprinkle some salt on the wine stain while it’s still wet. Salt absorbs the excess moisture, preventing the wine from soaking deeper into the stain. A common solution is to use white wine to remove the red wine stain. This works, as it helps neutralize the stain. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) can also be very effective. Make a paste using water and baking soda, then apply it to the wine stain. There’s a good chance the stain will come out.
Red Wine Glasses
Red wine is generally drunk from larger glasses than white wine. This is because red wine is much more complex than white wine. Red has much more aroma and flavor, but also in a more concentrated form. There is more to discover in red wine. When poured into a large glass, the wine can be swirled better, which allows more oxygen to interact with the wine, releasing its aroma more effectively. However, this doesn’t mean that white wine is an easy drink. It’s just slightly lighter than red. For this reason, white wine is often consumed as an aperitif, and at tastings, you always start with the white wines. If you started with the heaviest wines, your taste buds would be numbed, and you wouldn’t be able to taste the lighter wines afterwards. Personally, I prefer to drink white wine from a large wine glass, which is typically used for red wine. That extra aroma is definitely worth it.
Calories
How many calories are in a glass of red wine? It varies between 72 and 78 kcal, which is similar to a glass of white wine or rosé. A glass of Port has around 150 kcal, more than double the amount. This also contains much more sugar. A glass of beer has about 45 kcal. A lot less, but it is often consumed in larger quantities.
How to store an open bottle
Once a bottle of wine is opened, it can be stored for a maximum of 2 to 3 days. Due to the oxygen in the bottle, the wine deteriorates quickly. The fruitiness fades, and the wine becomes dull, with increasingly aggressive acids. The wine simply no longer tastes good. However, if the wine hasn’t spoiled, it can still be used for cooking. For example, in a stew, as the base for a red wine sauce, or when preparing braised pears. Just be aware that it takes time for all the alcohol to evaporate from the wine.
Serving temperature
It’s better to serve a wine too cold than too warm. Once in the glass, the wine quickly warms up due to the surrounding temperature. There are various wine thermometers available if you want to know the exact temperature of a bottle. However, experiencing it yourself is actually the best way to determine the ideal drinking temperature. Test it out for yourself by tasting a bottle of red wine that’s been sadly left in the windowsill all day, then chilling it in the fridge to cool down. You’ll notice that the wine from the fridge tastes much fresher, fruitier, and livelier. This also applies in the hospitality industry. How often does red wine sit behind the bar while the temperature in the pub rises to uncomfortable heights? Don’t hesitate to ask for a wine cooler, even for red wine, if it’s being served too warm.
