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Good wine must be expensive! Red wine needs to breathe! – Certainly we have all heard these statements before. But what is really about them? We clarify the 5 best-known wine myths.
Wine myths: what is really there?
Good wine must be expensive! Red wine needs to breathe! – These and more myths have grown around wine since the Romans first tasted it. But what is the truth behind these wine myths? Our experts get to the bottom of the matter.
The five most famous wine myths
As is well known, simple generalizations contain little truth, and yet some myths about wine persist. For this reason, at iberoWine we have decided to delve into the best known.
Wine myth 1: Serve red wine at room temperature!
This myth deserves a resounding NO! Of course, it is true that red wine is served hotter than white wine. However, the optimum serving temperature for red wine is around 16°C-18°C, a far cry from the average 20°-23°C ambient temperature.
As a guide: Wines with less tannins, which are more acidic, should be drunk cooler. On the other hand, more tannic wines should be enjoyed at higher temperatures (around 16°-18°C), as this allows the aromatic substances to develop better.
Expert Tip: The good drop in the glass heats up quickly on its own, so we recommend always serving wine about 2°C below the desired serving temperature.
Wine myth 2: red wine with meat, white wine with fish!
Nonsense, say our experts. When choosing the right wines for a dish, volume and especially intensity is much more important than color.
The general rule: the dish and the wine must have the same intensity. However, in case of doubt, the wine can be a little softer so that it does not overpower the flavor of fish, meat and vegetables.
Attention: exceptional dessert wine. Here, unlike savory dishes, the wine must always be more intense than the dessert.
Of course, taste plays a very important role in choosing the right wine. In this way you can harmonize wine and food or create contrasts. Salty food, for example, contrasts perfectly with a rather “dry and delicate” wine. At iberoWine we love the combination of acorn-fed ham and manzanilla.
Wine Myth 3: The older the wine, the better!
Yes, it is, at least to some extent, say our experts. Some wines actually improve with age. But like everything in life, everything depends on taste. The older wines are suitable for lovers of more complex and complete wines. However, if you prefer fruitier wines, you will likely find that a younger vintage is “better.”
In addition to individual taste, many other factors determine the good maturity of a wine. Among other things, pressing or fermentation affect a wine’s storage capacity. The following always applies: Not all wines are suitable for storage.
Expert Tip: Our experts advise you to consult a professional at a specialty store before storing any wine, whether red or white.
Wine myth 4: Red wine needs to breathe!
This myth also contains a kernel of truth. But not anymore…
If a red wine is young, has had more barrel aging or if it contains a higher proportion of tannins, then contact with oxygen benefits it. This allows the aroma to develop properly and we can enjoy the different notes it offers us.
However, if it is less complex or aged longer, our experts advise against decantation. The aromas escape too quickly and the wine dies to death, so to speak.
Expert tip: White wines can also benefit from contact with oxygen!
Wine myth 5: Good wine has to be expensive!
Is it really so? Does good wine always have to be expensive? Our experts resolutely say: NO!
Of course, the verdict depends in principle on the taste of each individual, as well as the occasion and the budget. In general, premium wines from certain countries and places, paired with big names, are more expensive than lesser-known wine areas. But does that have to mean that only well-known and therefore expensive wines are the only good wines? We don’t think so.
We will provide you with a detailed price analysis at the next opportunity. For today, our experts want to draw your attention to a particular price category: wines between 10 and 20 euros.
In our experience, many great discoveries with excellent quality characteristics can be made in this range. By the way, we find the range of lesser known wines from around the world particularly exciting!
Curiosities about wine
Finally, we would like to share with you two curiosities about wine that you can share with others during a pleasant evening:
• One of the oldest and most intact wine cellars in the world is the Titanic! The divers discovered that many of the bottles remained intact.
• The oldest still liquid wine in the world is over 1700 years old! “Roman wine from Speyer” was found in a Roman tomb in 1867.
Have the five myths of wine and the advice of our experts aroused your curiosity? Then take a look at our red and white wine section to put your new knowledge to the test. Have fun!