Wine Basics
Red Wine vs White Wine: Grapes, Taste, Food and Serving
Red wine ferments with its grape skins, which give it color and tannin; white wine doesn't. Here is how that changes taste, food pairing and serving.
6 min read
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Wine Basics · Page 2
Wine basics in plain English: how wine is made, how to store and serve it, how long it lasts once opened, and what is wrong when a wine tastes sour, smells off or turns brown.
Wine Basics
What Is Terroir? Soil, Climate and the Human Touch
Terroir is the idea that a wine tastes of its place: soil, climate, slope and the people who farm it. Here is the official definition, examples and the debate.
6 min read
Wine Basics
Vegan Wine: Fining Agents, Labels and How to Check
Not all wine is vegan, because some is fined with egg, milk, gelatin or fish. Which agents are used, what labels must show and how to check a bottle.
6 min read
Wine Basics
Wine Barrels: Oak Types, Sizes, Toast and How They're Made
Oak wine barrels add flavor and a little air. Here is French vs American oak, barrel sizes, toast levels, new vs neutral oak and how a cooper builds one.
7 min read
Wine Basics
Wine Sediment: Crystals, Grit and How to Decant
Sediment and the glassy crystals called wine diamonds are natural and harmless. Here is what they are, why they form and how to pour a wine off them.
7 min read
Wine Basics
Can You Freeze Wine? What Happens and When It's OK
Yes, you can freeze leftover wine for cooking, but not in a full bottle. The freezing point of wine, why bottles crack and what to do with a frozen bottle.
5 min read
Wine Basics
Fortified Wine: Port, Sherry, Madeira, Marsala and More
Fortified wine has grape spirit added, which makes it stronger and longer-lasting. Here are the main types, their alcohol levels and how long each keeps open.
8 min read
Wine Basics
How to Hold a Wine Glass (and Why the Stem Matters)
Hold a stemmed wine glass by the stem or the foot, not the bowl. Here's why, plus how to hold stemless glasses and flutes, swirl, and how full to pour.
6 min read
Wine Basics
How to Make Wine at Home: A Step-by-Step Beginner Guide
How to make wine at home from a kit or fresh fruit: the equipment, sanitizing, fermentation, racking, stabilizing and bottling, plus the federal limits.
8 min read
Wine Basics
How to Read a Wine Label: US Rules and European Terms
What every line on a wine label means: US rules for grape, place, vintage and alcohol, plus how French, Italian, Spanish and German labels work.
8 min read
Wine Basics
How to Remove Red Wine Stains From Fabric and Carpet
Blot, rinse with cool water, then treat. Steps from extension services and the Carpet and Rug Institute for clothes, carpet and upholstery, plus myths to skip.
8 min read
Wine Basics
How to Taste Wine: Look, Swirl, Smell, Taste, Conclude
How to taste wine in five steps: look, swirl, smell, taste and conclude. Plus tasting words, when to spit, winery etiquette and a simple flight to try at home.
8 min read