5 Most Common Wine Misconceptions
The world of wine is both vast and growing every day. It's difficult for masters to keep up, much less the average person. In our quest to learn and appreciate wine, we are exposed to a lot of information but not all of it is accurate. I will go through the most common of these falsehoods to set the record straight.
- Sulfites. This is a craze sweeping the wine world of the average Joe. Many believe that sulfites are bad and either make you sick or produce headaches. This, however, is not the case. Many foods we consume on a daily basis contain sulfites, such as garlic, potatoes and broccoli. One glass of orange juice contains more sulfites than an entire bottle of wine, but yet no one complains of headaches after breakfast...unless you have children! Furthermore, sulfites occur naturally in wine during fermentation and are in EVERY bottle of wine; even the ones that say "no sulfites detectable" contain a small amount.
- Cork vs. Screw Cap. Many believe wine with a cork is superior to capped bottles. This is not necessarily true. While most high quality wines contain corks, some are switching to the screw top, aka Stelvin Enclosure. These caps obtained a bad wrap when they were first introduced because they were being utilized by the lower quality bulk wines. Nowadays, higher quality producers are adapting this technology because it is cheaper than corks and has a lower risk of tainting the bottle.
- Serving Temperatures. Over the years I have heard many suggestions as to what temps to serve wine. So here is the breakdown in degrees: whites: 45-50, reds: 50-65, rosés: 45-55, sparkling: 42-52, fortified: 55-68. I'm sure you have heard that reds are supposed to be served at room temperature. While this is true, what is meant by 'room temp' is actually cellar temperature in French caves.
- Name Brands. The big houses with recognizable names give us a sense of security when making a selection, but at what price? We recognize these names because they spend millions on advertising and incentives. While working for wholesalers there were many products in which the winery would pay anywhere from $5-$20 per case sold. The question is, who really pays for this? The answeris you, the consumer. While you may have a guarantee of a certain quality, these wines are usually overpriced based on true worth. Don't get me wrong, there are many recognizable wines that are well worth their price, but personally I prefer smaller, boutique houses. These don't necessarily give you a guarantee of quality, but they do generally give you more bang foryour buck.
- Price. This goes along with #4. I have heard countless times that higher priced wines are superior to the less expensive ones, but that is not always the case. Again, think about what you are paying for. Just because a wine is not expensive does not mean it is cheap, and the opposite is true for high priced products. I have had many values that beat out wines at double the price. All in all, don't judge a wine by is price.
Drink Well,
George Ryan, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine consultant - Sunrise
Follow me on Twitter @abcwinegeorger
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