Which glass to choose: how shape changes the taste of wine
A wide bowl for reds, a narrower one for whites, a tulip for sparkling. What each shape is for, and whether one glass can do it all.
Articles about wine
Serving temperature: why red wine shouldn't be served warm
The "room temperature" rule for reds was made for chilly castles. The right temperature for each style of wine and how to get there quickly at home.
Decanting: when it helps and when it gets in the way
A decanter helps young, powerful wines and separates the sediment in older ones. But long exposure to air can harm delicate, mature wines.
Harvest time: what happens in the vineyards in autumn
September and October are the busiest months for winemakers in the Northern Hemisphere. How the picking date is chosen and why it shapes the style of the wine.
How to read a wine label
Region, grape, vintage, classification. What matters on a label, what can be skipped, and why some wines name the grape while others only name the place.
Wine and cheese: five pairings that almost always work
Goat's cheese and sauvignon blanc, parmesan and aged red, roquefort and sweet wine. Simple pairings and a rule that makes it easy to invent your own.
How long does an opened bottle of wine last
White, red, sparkling and fortified wines keep for different lengths of time once opened. How to close the bottle and where to keep it so the wine stays good.
Brut, extra brut, demi-sec: making sense of sparkling wine
The words on a sparkling wine label tell you how much sugar it has, not how good it is. The scale from driest to sweetest and what to pair with each.