Big Fat Wine

Once you’ve realized that you have a passion for the wine lifestyle, it can be a bit confusing as to just where to begin! There is so much information out there and so many opinions!

All of us at Big Fat Wine want to suggest a few essentials to start your journey into the wonderful world of wine. These are only suggestions but they are from our own personal use and experience(s).

CORKSCREW- Purchase a reliable corkscrew. There are some expensive ones out there that you  may want to try but this one we found to be easy and it always works.

AERATOR- We can’t promise this will make a 20 dollar bottle of red wine taste like a 200 dollar bottle, but we have experienced some amazing affects from aeration. Try it! Some young wines need a little boost and this gadget will certainly do the trick.

FOIL CUTTER- A foil cutter comes in handy. Okay, a knife will work just as well but once you slice your finger open in front of your guests, you will definitely want one of these. They are inexpensive so if you try to use it on a screw-top (okay, I broke mine), it can be easily replaced.

TASTING GUIDE- There are multitudes of books out there we can suggest. This one is simple and easy to carry with you. It’s even waterproof! Included is a step by step method for tasting.

WINE COOLER- You can pick up a larger capacity cooler later on once you begin to start your wine cellar but a small cooler is a must.

STEMWARE- The style and quality of the wine glass is highly important. Read our post on selecting the right glass for the right wine. You only need a few to get you started and it is    an essential investment.

WINE- ……………Enjoy!

Summer in the Pacific Northwest has finally come! It feels like winter lasts for 8 long months around here. That isn’t an exaggeration considering that Seattle only averages 58 sunny days a year. As for the rest of Seattle’s days, we average 226 cloudy days and 81 partly cloudy days. Of all those days, we get 155 days of rain a year.

Our recent “heat wave” has brought us all into a blissful state of uplifted spirits and a constant party atmosphere (while it lasts). Since we aren’t used to hot weather, it has also brought us to our neighborhood hardware stores seeking out air conditioners and portable fans. Admittedly, I didn’t know what the abbreviation “A/C” was until I was 18 years old while in a rental car in Honolulu. While we try to find ways of keeping cool and comfortable, let’s not forget that our pets and wines need some help coping with the heat as well.

(The title of this post is a variation of the title of a great article by Maureen Finn at Examiner.com regarding pet health concerns during the hot summer months. Don’t forget your furry friends!)

Most importantly, get (keep) your wine collection out of the heat!

When it comes to storing and serving wine, temperature, which is often ignored, can bring the best and worst out in a bottle of wine. High temperature (>65ºF) causes the wine to age prematurely, thus losing its flavor and balance. When chilled too cold, the wine also loses its flavor and aromas. Keep the wines away from sunlight and heat exposure; store them in cellars, wine fridge, and or temperature controlled rooms (thanks to Jona, we now store our wine in the basement). Wide fluctuation in temperature will damage the wine and the cork. Ideal range of temperature for storing red wine is 50-55ºF or 10-16ºC. White wines can be stored at lower range down to around 45ºF.

The wine serving temperature chart below from BetterTastingWine.com recommends serving temperature for varietals. In the meantime, enjoy your summer and think twice before complaining about how hot it is. The sun will disappear soon enough!

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