5 common wine myths debunked
Vino not-so veritas.
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9 years ago
“Don’t store your wine in the fridge”
Wine snobs are so stuck up about this. Honestly, we’ve stored cork-stopped bottles in the fridge for a few months and they were fine. If your place doesn’t have the AC running 24/7 (or a fancy wine cellar), it’s definitely preferable to cooking your wine at 30-degree heat. Beyond a couple months in the fridge, you are taking risks, though. Your fridge has very low humidity and will dry up the cork. The cork may then break when you try to remove it, or air might get into the bottle and ruin the wine. Now if your wine has a screwcap, you can keep it in the fridge for as long as you please.
“Screw caps are only for cheap wines”
The use of cork stopper survives to this day for the same reasons mechanical watches have survived. They’re charming, they hark back to an ancient tradition, they conjure luxury. Except that cork sometimes dries up, breaks when you’re trying to open it, or even develops a mold that ruins the whole bottle. That’s why New World winemakers just roll their eyes at the stuff and use screwcaps, which are the smartest way to keep your wine intact.
“Drink red wine at room temperature”
That’s somewhat true if by room temperature, you mean a dining hall in your French castle hovering between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius. That would be just about right for a Bordeaux-style Cabernet Sauvignon blend. But for anything lighter (Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cabernet Franc), you should aim for 14 degrees. In fact, aim for less given that your air-con room at 24-degrees will quickly heat them up. Still, don’t drink red wine straight out of the fridge unless it’s a rose or sparkling Lambrusco.
“Old wines are better”
Nearly all wines are really designed for you to take home and drink now. That’s particularly true of white wines, but reds too are meant to be gulped down within 1-5 years of purchase. Wines are vibrant, fresh, fruity, living things. After a few years, only the most high-end red wines continue to evolve. Everything else begins to lose its vitality.
“Good wine is expensive”
A lot of things get factored into price. If the bottle says “France” or even “California,” you’re paying a premium. If the bottle says “Bordeaux,” you’re paying a huge premium. The secret is to try a lot of different wines and remember which ones you enjoyed. You might find a favorite from Australia, New Zealand or Spain at a surprisingly low price point—and that it didn’t get 90 points from Parker. Be your own judge.
Hot Restaurants Serving Bold New Wines
Charm Thai
Discover the authentic taste of Thailand at Charm Thai, Holiday Inn Bangkok. Prepared with local herbs and spices and the finest produce fresh from the market, the extensive menu includes a mouth-watering selection of authentic Thai cuisine and vegetarian specialties such as Yam Nua Yang spicy grilled beef cucumber and sliced tomato, Pla Kao Sam Rod deep-fired Garoupa sweet and sour chilli sauce, Geang Mussaman Gai mussaman curry with chicken. To complete the meal, Jacob’s Creek recently launched a red wine that perfectly matches Thai cuisine, Jacob’s Creek Lamoon, already available at Charm Thai.
971 Phloen Chit Rd. 02-656-1555. BTS Chit Lom. Open daily for dinner: 6:30-10:30pm
Long Table
Located on the 25th floor of the Column Building in Sukhumvit Soi 16, Long Table combines a laidback dinner-and-drinks atmosphere with a stunning panoramic view of the Bangkok skyline. The minimalist design and 24-meter-long communal table comes complete with white bed seating and good-looking staff. The menu is rounded and balanced while the cellar stocks up a wide range of Old World and New World wines designed to complement spicy dishes. Especially for this summer, beat the heat with the light and aromatic Jacob’s Creek Moscato Rose. The aroma—berries finishing with a hint of pear—is just perfect for Thai cuisine.
Column Building, 48 Sukhumvit Soi 16, 02-302-2557/9. Open daily 5pm-2am.
Nara Thai Cuisine
Nara is a renowned Thai Restaurant famous amongst Thai, expatiates and international clientele who likes to experience authentic Thai cuisine. The dishes at Nara offer intensity of taste and flavor presented in a simple uncomplicated style serving in a sense of comfort at home. The rounded, Central Thai flavors call for a subtle wine pairing. We recommend the new Jacob’s Creek Reserve Chardonnay Adelaide Hills whose elegant character sees white peach notes and creamy texture culminating into a citrus finale.
LG/F, Erawan Bangkok, 494 Phloen Chit Rd, 02-250-7707/8. Open daily 10am-10pm.
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