FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
How does temperature affect a bottle of wine?
Chilling tones down the sweetness of wine. If a red wine becomes too warm, it may lose some of its fruity flavor.
How far does a grape go in the wine making process?
75 grapes = 1 cluster
1 grape cluster = 1 glass
4 clusters = 1 bottle
40 clusters = 1 vine
1 vine = 10 bottles
1200 clusters = 1 barrel
30 vines = 1 barrel
400 vines = 1 acre
Is it appropriate
to send back a bottle of wine in a restaurant
if you just don’t like it?
If a wine is flawed in some way (i.e., corked,
oxidized, or spoiled), you should send it
back. But, if you select it and simply don’t
like it, it’s not appropriate to send
it back.
When a new bottle of wine is opened
will sniffing the cork give you a good sense
of the wine?
No, in the days when the authenticity of
a bottle was more suspect, it was important
to see the wine uncorked at the table, and
to verify the brand on the cork. Now everyone
behaves. And, smelling the cork can be misleading.
At times a cork will look and smell awful,
yet the wine will be perfectly fine.
What does the year on a bottle of
wine represent?
The vintage, which refers to the year the
grapes were harvested. Some wines are made
from blends of different years (such as
sherry or champagne), and in these cases
the year is not listed on the label.
Will just uncorking a bottle of
wine help it breathe?
Simply removing the cork will do little
to aerate the wine. Instead, pour it into
a carafe or simply into your glass and swirl
it around a bit.
Are white wines made from red grapes?
Yes, white wines are often made from red
grapes. The red color comes from the skins,
so when winemakers produce a white wine
from red grapes, they remove the skins quickly
after crushing.
Why are red and white wines served
in different sized glasses?
Red and white wines do not need to be drunk
out of different sized glasses. In fact,
you can drink wine out of any glass you
want. Traditionally, white wines are served
in smaller wine glasses than red wines,
which are often thought to give off their
richer aromas more easily in larger glasses.
Champagne or sparkling wines are often served
in elongated glasses that narrow at the
top called flutes that preserve the wine’s
fizziness. Dessert wines are served in smaller
glasses because these wines are served in
smaller portions than table wines.
How big can a wine bottle get?
Split holds 375 milliliters or half a standard bottle
Standard Bottle holds 750 ml of wine (also called a "fifth")
Magnum holds same as 2 bottles, or 1.5 liters
Double Magnum equals 4 bottles, or 3 liters
Jeroboam equals 6 bottles for wine or 4 bottles for sparkling wine
Imperial equals 8 bottles, or 6 liters
Salamanzar equals 12 bottles (one case), or 9 liters
Balthazar equals 16 bottles, or 12 liters
Nebuchadnezzar holds same as 20 bottles, or 15 liters
Why should I swirl wine in my glass
before I drink it?
By swirling your wine, oxygen is invited
into the glass, which allows the aromas
to escape.
Should I ever use a decanter for
my wines?
A decanter is used mainly to remove sediment
from older red wines. Also, it can be used
to open up young red wines. Otherwise, wine
will “breathe” enough in your
glass and decanting is not necessary.
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