We’ve Tried: How to Choose your Wine with Gael Le Bec

Food and Drink on June 20, 2011 7:10 am

Knowing how to choose wine is important, that’s clear, but so too is knowing how to choose the right type of glass. The form of the glass should go with the style of wine- red, white, vintage, its character and the sensations it unleashes. Each type of wine has its own type of glass.

The order of wine at a table is essential. It is extremely important to know at what moment to place a bottle in the cellar or to get one out in order to taste it at its best. Young white and red wines can be taken from the cellar a few hours before a meal, whereas vintage wines should be taken out the night before and placed vertically in a cool place. It is essential to bear in mind that a bottle that has spent more than a certain number of years in a cellar may contain sediment that could kill or weaken the colour of the wine. It is therefore important, when dealing with older wines, to collect the bottle one or two days before it is consumed so that the sediment collects at the bottom of the bottle and you are able to decant it. Another solution would be to leave the bottle on its side and to transport it in a basket in the same position as it was in the cellar.

Once these golden rules have been observed, it is time to place the wine on the table. This is where the order of wines comes into force. They should be presented in increasing order of strength- white wines should of course be served before red wines, and light-bodied wines before more tannic wines. Young wines, contrary to common belief, before older wines.

Wine Tasting Barcelona. Photo by Gael Le Bec

As for dry wines, they should appear before sweet wines. However all of this equally relies upon the well-established order of dishes during a meal. It is exactly at this moment that problems in these alliances may arise. For example, in the case of foie gras being served with a liqueur wine, the taste buds are saturated from the beginning of the meal, and as a consequence this will reduce the intensity of the wine which follows this first dish. Incidentally, during Roman times, Lucullus served the foie gras at the end of a meal for that very reason. Therefore knowing how to respect the order of wines is also knowing how to respect your enjoyment.

Tip: You can get 15% off wine tasting classes with Gael Le Bec using the Oh-Barcelona discount card {What’s this?}

Gäel Le Bec. Sommelier:
See his Profile
See his website