Wine Glass Info

Along the pristine waters of the Brule River, are century old summer homes that sit amongst the white pines. This is where many summer memories for my husband and I begin every year.  The couple, our friends who share their beautiful home with us all during those short months, are responsible for such wonderful memories. These memories we keep through the winter in anticipation for the next summer.

Those of you who are avid Fly Anglers know where the Brule River is and with any luck, you have fly-fished it one time in your life. For those who don’t fly- fish, the Brule River is in Northern Wisconsin amongst Great White Pines, Big Cedar Trees, lots of wild life, and birds. If you love nature, the Brule River is one of the special places you will find it. I am an avid wine drinker who likes to watch you fish or canoe and if I am there I will greet you as you go by.

 With summer, brings wonderful wine, and food. We gather for one special weekend of the summer. Indeed it is a holiday of it s own making. We hold nothing back; the best wines from our cellars along with incredible breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, which no gourmet restaurant can match. We are a gifted group I might have to say. I know I should not but it is deserved.

This summer our friend Richard brought along a wine he had put away some time ago and he was very excited to uncork it. We watched in anticipation as he poured. He held it up to the light and it was deep, ripe, and waiting for us to roll it about our tongues.
The 1988 Silverado Stags Leap Reserve washed over my tongue like silk under my fingertips. Lush, with flavors of licorice and berries, oak, leather. It all was there. As this dark ruby liquid slid down my throat, I could not believe how smooth it tasted. We my friends, husband and I exclaimed; OH-MY-GOD, can you believe this stuff?  My mouth watered as it does after I eat exquisite chocolates.

There were only two good wineglasses left to pour the wine in. Not one of us wanted to be sharing this wonder of a wine. I have never felt so selfish over a wine before, but this one, well, we almost cried when it was gone. We did cheer ourselves up with a 1996 Red Zinfandel, then wandered down to the river to sip and welcomed the canoeist passing by.

We were happy for the warm summer day and wonderful friends we had in each other.
 

At first, before I understood the importance of a wine decanter, I liked them for their sheer beauty There are so many styles and shapes, functional decanters and not very functional decanters.
It was only after I had a fine collection did I find out the functionality of a wine decanter. (Yes, I was nieve.)
A wine that is younger than ten years should be uncorked and decanted for at least an hour to let it aerate to ready the nose and palate with the wines full potential. If you never have done this , try it out to see for your self what a difference it will make. Just remember sometimes nothing can help a lousy bottle of wine.

An older wine needs to only be open and poured. Really, that’s it. I like to let mine air for a couple of minutes but that would be all.

It’s nice to have such a fine collection of decanters; they come in handy when the guests show up with their favorite bottle of wine. I like the line up!

The Wine Cohort

For serious wine drinkers, a wine bar or corner in their homes would be a great idea. A wall mounted wine rack is recommended if space is limited, yet you would still want to display those vintage wine bottles.

Wine is not just a beverage that is served on special occasions. It can actually be the beverage of choice after a tiring day at work, or to complement a dish. In fact, it is said that drinking a glass of wine everyday can be good for the heart.

In my opinion, a wine bottle sealed with a cork tastes better than wine that is sealed otherwise. Perhaps the cork adds to the flavor and aging process of a wine, I am not certain.

But what I do know is that a wine corkscrew is a much-needed tool to dislodge a cork from a wine bottle. I recall one instance when I was forced to pop a cork out without a corkscrew and it just led to disaster. That was totally embarrassing.