WIN YOUR OWN 30 Bottle BATCH!
Enter our on-line contest to win a free batch of
Cellar Craft South African Shiraz!
Simply go to our Website http://www.carafe.ca/main.html
Click on “Enter To Win A Free Batch Shiraz!”
It’s that easy.
The general advice on wine serving temperatures is to chill your white wines, and to drink the reds at room temperature. That advice is a little simplistic, however, and as we head into summer it is worth taking a closer look.
The ideal serving temperature for a bold and tannic red – say that Australian Shiraz waiting for the steaks to come off the BBQ – is about 16° to 18°. Above that temperature the alcohol becomes very volatile, unbalances the wine, and makes it taste hot and thin, so parking the bottle outside on the patio table on a hot day is doing the wine (and you!) no favours. Keep it inside in the air conditioning, or stick it in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to put a slight chill on it, and you will enjoy it even more. Be careful though – chill it too much and the tannins take over and the wine tastes astringent.
Lighter and softer reds with little tannin, like a Valpolicella or in fact many of our 4-week reds, actually benefit from lower serving temperatures and would always be happy with some time in the fridge.
Give them half an hour or so to drop the temperature to as low as 12° before serving and keep the bottle in a wine chiller, if you have one, when you bring the bottle to the table. With whites the advice is also not as simple as “chill it”. The colder a wine is served, the more of the aroma and bouquet you miss. A light white without a lot of character will be most refreshing if chilled well by an hour or more in the fridge, but a higher quality aromatic white like a Viognier or a full-bodied, well-oaked Chardonnay is best served relatively warm – about 12° to 15°. Any colder than that and you lose a lot of what the wine has to offer.
The best way to see what difference temperature can make is to experiment. You might be surprised how a little fridge time improves your enjoyment of your wine, especially the reds, as the days warm!
Article courtesy of Geoff Barley.
Each Month, Carafe features
both a Red and a White
Six Week Wine
at $10.00 OFF
per 23 Litre (30 bottle) Batch.
FEBRUARY 2009
Pinot Noir - A medium bodied red wine with plenty of fruit and a warm, complex aroma. Excellent with hard cheeses or served slightly chilled with chicken, duck or game.
Riesling Auslese – An intensely flavoured, slightly off-dry German white with luscious flavours of green apple, peaches and tropical fruits. Great with spicy ethnic dishes.
MARCH 2009
Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon – This full bodied red wine is deep garnet in colour with a surprisingly smooth finish. It’s abundant flavour and berry nose is nicely balanced with mellow, toasted oak. Great with steaks, roasts, burgers and BBQ ribs.
White Merlot - This refreshing wine is created by its deliberately brief exposure of the crushed Merlot grape skins with the Merlot juice which results in an inviting salmon colour. White Merlot blush has a lush, fruity character making it an excellent choice for relaxing with friends.
APRIL 2010
Meritage Rouge – This is a traditional Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with a touch of Syrah (Shiraz). It has abundant flavours of blackberry and plum with good tannins, nicely balanced with oak. An excellent table wine.
Chardonnay – A full bodied white with subtle tropical fruit aroma and crisp citrus flavours. A refreshing, clean finish with a toasty oak charm.
For the month of January, take advantage of our New Year Sale on these two great Classics:
Merlot This dry, full-flavoured red wine has generous, ripe fruitiness and a soft, graceful finish.
Pinot Grigio A crisp and flavourful, medium bodied white wine with delicate, tropical fruit aroma.
Make 1 Wine Save $15.00
Make 2 Wines Save $35.00
Available in both 4 and 6 week
23 Litre Batches
Offer valid until January 30, 2010
Not in conjunction with any other offers.
Prices include our full service, all taxes, corks & shrink caps.
