We have all experienced it. That moment your friend turns up, ready for a chat session, last minute.
You know they are going to want wine. You look around and darn, only your cheap and cheerful stash is available! Why oh WHY didn't your friend tell you they were coming by?
Never fear guys, here is a quick couple of tricks to help your $8 cheapy wine taste like a $20 bottle.
SHAKE THAT BOTTLE
I had a friend once tell me about this. I watched him shake the heck out of a bottle of Penfolds Rawsons Retreat. I thought that would do some serious damage. Apparently not! Surprisingly, it will add a few years to that bottle or make it taste like it's been decanted for some time.
How?
- Open the bottle and pour about 1 ounce into your glass.
- Recork or close bottle and give it a brisk shake for about 5 seconds.
- Wait for bubbles to dissipate.
- Serve wine.
That's it!
Swirl
When a wine is overly tannic and hard to swallow, simply swirl it! Over 30 mins, enough time for a decent chat, the wine is sure to improve significantly. Swirling is like decanting. It increases the surface area of wine to oxygen and aerates it. YAY!
