“See, Swirl, Smell, Sip & Slurp”
BY: Sean Wilborn, Tasting Room Manager at Château Élan
I lead and design several wine education events at Château Élan and I’ve discovered an overwhelming majority of us have a general curiosity, if not a down right fascination with wine but an equal reluctance to engage further into what seems a rather pretentious pursuit. It is my quest, among several peers in the industry, to remove the veil of snobbery and just have fun with what is a truly captivating liquid.
In our weekly classes and events, we cover many fun facts about wine. In doing so, I hear many of the same questions and felt it would be prudent to share some of these facts with you. So here are 25 useful facts about this beautiful fermented juice, the nectar of Gods…wine.
■ Sulfites are not evil.
■ Sulfites ARE used in European wines!
■ Sulfites affect people with “severe asthma” who make up 1% of the 20 million asthma sufferers in the US by inflaming bronchial passages.
■ Polyphenols, histamines (for those with sensitivities) and alcohol are causing your headaches when you drink red wine…not the sulfites.
■ White wine is to be served at approximately 45 degrees.
■ Red wine is to be served at approximately 65 degrees.
■ The ideal storage temperature for wine is approximately 55 degrees.
■ 80% of taste comes from the sense of smell. If a wine is too cold, the
bouquet is trapped and you can’t smell it and therefore won’t taste it.
■ Bouquet refers to the smell of the wine, aroma refers to the grape
varietal and the nose refers to the combination of the two.
■ A wine glass should be held by the stem to prevent warming the wine
■ Sight, swirl, smell, sip…slurp!
