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!

There are almost as many types of wine glasses as there are wines.  And, yes, the wine glass you use can make difference in the enjoyment of the wine you are drinking.  I wouldn’t go so far as to say that you need a different glass for each type of wine but a cabinet with the basic three can give you great bang for your buck.

A large broad bowled glass for reds.  The fuller bodied the reds you enjoy the larger the glass you need.  A large bowled glass allows for more surface area of the wine to be exposed to oxygen.  Red wine is typically better when well oxidized.    The larger size gives you the ability to get a great swirl going to further aerate your wine and release the bouquet.

A slightly smaller narrower bowled glass for whites and rose.    The smaller narrower bowl helps to keep your white chilled and also helps to focus subtler fragrances making them easier to detect.   While smaller and narrower you still want a glass large enough to comfortably swirl your wine without spilling it.

Finally a good fluted glass for champagne and sparkling wines.  The fluted shape aids in keeping your wine “bubbly” longer and also is really pretty when the bubbles rise the length of the glass.

For all three, look for clear glass or crystal with a thin lip for the best experience.  The clear glass allows you see the color and the thin lip makes sipping more pleasurable.  I know some people who like wine glasses with no stem but for me, unless I’m drinking brandy, mulled or warmed wine, I want a stem.

(tip: don’t hold the glass by the bowl while drinking to keep from warming the wine with your body heat… as we know , wine drinkers are hot blooded)  :)

I suggest that you borrow a selection of glasses from your friends or go to a good tasting bar and ask to test different glassware.   To really get a true idea of the differences drink the same wine from different shape and size glasses.  I was amazed by the difference in a cheap cab when enjoyed from a good glass.  It made all the difference in the world.

By the way, the glasses shown in the photos above and in the strip below are from the Riedel Ouverture series.    This is the everyday stemware that we use at home and love.

As Always,
Love, Laugh, Learn… LIVE!

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