Eight Rules When Drinking Wine In Shenzhen

1. Red and white wine are both full of many rich and complex flavors. The wine needs to breathe before it’s poured so its taste is at its optimum. Do not start pouring the bottle straight away, let it breathe or decant the wine.

2. Some wine snobs will tell you that you should not mix orange juice and champagne as it ruins a good glass of champagne. Forget about the wine snobs. If you like it served that way, then drink it that way. Life is too short to worry about the irrelevant opinions of wine snobs.

3. We must all work together to have all wine providers provide their wines in a larger glass as the wine evolves better and quicker in bigger glasses. Please make a point of asking the restaurant or wine bar to order larger glasses to enhance the drinking experience.

4. After the restaurants or wine bars have ordered larger glasses you will then notice that the wine portion they are offering you is kind of small. There is no valid reason to offer such measly wine portions. Pressure management for decent measures of wine.

5. The Europeans are famous for adding lemonade or soda to their wine so why can’t everyone else. If you really feel like a drop of red and it is just to hot to drink warm red, then add whatever takes your fancy to cool it down. If it’s good enough for the Europeans we can do it as well.

6. The colder white wine is when served, the less flavour it will impart on your palate. Most whites wines are consumed way too cold. The more expensive whites should be taken out of the fridge and drunk about 15 minutes later, it will make the flavours more robust.

7. It is important to swirl and sniff your wine preferably served in a big glass, the swirling and sniffing process will make the experience of drinking it more enjoyable. Don’t worry about spilling some on your clothes or looking like a wine snob, it’s just the most effective way to enjoy your wine.

8. Drink more wine, try different types. If you are used to Merlot try a Cabernet Merlot, if you are used to Sauvignon Blanc try a Pinot Gris or some Chardonnay.

Marcus Maher,

General Manager

Aulon Wine (Shenzhen)

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Courtesy of <a href=”http://www.shenzhen-standard.com/2010/03/25/eight-rules-when-drinking-wine-in-shenzhen/” target=”_blank”>Shenzhen Standard</a>