Repairing Wine

Decanting wine can improve it drastically. photopixel/Shutterstock

Not every wine is exactly what we want.

Most of us spend time making a decision about which wine to buy for tonight’s pasta or this weekend’s barbecue, and as much as we know about wine, it frequently disappoints us. This is not our fault; it’s the fault of the market.

Major wineries know that they have to hit a consistent point of style that basically aims at middle-of-the-road buyers. But I'd guess that that only represents about half the wine buyers in his country. The rest prefer something slightly different.

Adjusting the wine you have purchased is not as difficult as you might think, but the tactics have almost never been printed because it’s considered to be un-hip. Doing something to wine is seen as disrespectful.

But you paid for it, and if you don’t like how it smells or tastes, doing something with it isn’t disrespectful. It’s logical.

The following suggestions are those I have used at my own dinner table, and I swear by them. It won’t turn a bad wine into something a lot better, but what tabletop repairs can do is improve the way you appreciate the wine.

• Air. Many wines are shipped to market too early; almost all of them need some extra time in the bottle to let flavors knit. Aeration can do the job similarly.

The best strategy with almost all wines—including whites, reds and even sparklings!—is to decant them for a few minutes (hours for many reds) before consuming them.

Aeration allows slight aromatic problems to dissipate, and the wine might actually improve noticeably.

(Though this applies to sparkling wine, be aware that decanting bubblies risks losing some of the fizz. I decant only those sparklings that have problems that can’t be solved any other way.)

• Temperature. Almost all white wines are served far too cold, and almost all red wines are served far too warm. For best results, remove white wines from the refrigerator and put reds into the fridge for 20 minutes before serving either.
• Chill Bubblies. Before opening any sparkling wine, chill it thoroughly. Opening a bottle of sparkling wine that’s at room temperature, intending to chill the remainder later, allows effervescence to dissipate faster.
• Ice. Many red wines these days are made with far too much alcohol for reasons too complicated to explain here. About 13 percent to 14 percent alcohol is usually sufficient for table wines. Higher than that, especially above 15 percent, I always add an ice cube.

How much ice is up to the consumer. I often start with a small amount of ice, which then keeps the wine at the proper temperature for consuming with food. If that’s not enough, add another sliver.

(A tiny splash of water also works nicely to balance the flavors in alcoholic red wines. Start with a teaspoon per glass.)

• Swirl. Since aeration helps most wines to “open up,” the more you swirl a wine, the more the aromatics volatilize on the sides of the wine glass, making it that much more interesting.

One suggestion of what not to do: Do not even consider chilling wine glasses serving chilled white wines. I consider using chilled glasses equal to fancy restaurants’ tactic of handing chilled forks to salad-ordering patrons.

Wine of the Week: 2022 Mouton Cadet, Bordeaux ($15)

This red Bordeaux wine sustained some serious criticisms from several American wine critics 40 years ago, but I considered that to be remarkably naive. This has always been a reputable example of the Bordeaux district, and this example is one of the better red wines I have tasted from France. It is true to its Cabernet Sauvignon heritage, offering an interesting aroma of dried herbs, dark red fruit and good structure for pairing with food.

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