| It appears wine is very similar to a person - it | | | | below 60°F / 15.5°C will cause the wine not to |
| gets more fragile with age and it needs more | | | | develop in the glass. |
| attention. | | | | With mature red wines, you may want to decant |
| One thing that really disturbs mature wines is | | | | the wine to separate any sediment that might |
| travel. So if you decide to move the wine, you will | | | | have formed. The best strategy here is to stand |
| need to make sure you handle it with care first | | | | the bottle up two or three days before opening it |
| and let it rest for several days afterwards before | | | | so that the sediment can drift to the bottom. |
| opening the bottle. This is especially true for Red | | | | One important consideration when decanting an |
| Burgundies and other Pinot Noir wines. | | | | old wine is to make sure you do not give it too |
| Mature wines best go with simple cuts of meat or | | | | much aeration. You need to be aware of the fact |
| hard cheeses and crusty bread rather than | | | | that older wines deteriorate rapidly upon exposure |
| strongly flavored meals as their delicate flavors | | | | to air, often within a half hour - but it can be as |
| can get easily overwhelmed. | | | | quickly as 10 to 15 minutes. So taste the wine |
| The older wines are at their best at moderate | | | | immediately upon decanting and be prepared to |
| temperatures so whether it is white or red make | | | | drink it quickly if you notice signs of fading. |
| sure you do not over-chill the wine. Temperatures | | | | |