Faq - I T A L Y S T O R E . C O M

Faq

Frequentely Asked Questions. Here below you will find the answers to the common doubts about italian wine.

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Cork is crumbly. How can I get it out?
Sometimes when you're trying to remove a cork, especially in an older wine, will start to crumble instead of coming out in one clean piece.
What to do? Don't panic. Proceed slowly and carefully, without haste, as you want to avoid pushing fragments of the cork into the wine if you can. Switching corkscrews to one with a different shape or design of screw sometimes helps. Another old wine steward's trick is to try two corkscrews, pointed in at slight angles to each other; try to work them in from opposite sides until they meet at the bottom of the cork, then pull them very gently.
Another approach: Try one of the simple, two-pronged cork removers commonsly called "Ah So" or "Thieving Butler," working the flat prongs gently down each side of the troublesome cork.
Finally, remember this: Even if your efforts fail and the crumbly remnants of the cork fall into your wine, it's not ruined. Pour it into a decanter or clean glass pitcher through a fine-meshed strainer or paper coffee filter, and all will be well.

Cork taint: What is a "corked" wine?
Corks have been the traditional wine-bottle closure for about 300 years, and when they work well, they make about as good a stopper as anyone has invented. The cork is so enshrined in tradition that most of us chuckle at the very idea of a quality wine closed with a beer cap or jug-wine cap.
But the wine industry isn't laughing. Here's why:
Natural cork is all too often afflicted by a fungus called 2,4,6-tricloroanisole (TCA), a chemical that imparts its flavor to wine and, basically, ruins it. If you've ever tasted a wine with a dank, moldy aroma that reminds you of wet cardboard, a damp basement or mushrooms, that's TCA, and the wine is said to be "corked." By some estimates, as many as one bottle of wine in 20 is tainted by the TCA fungus.
Some wineries have reduced the incidence of corkiness by using expensive corks that undergo intense inspection before use. Even then, however, some afflicted corks get through.
Crown caps and screw tops offer alternatives; another modern solution is the use of synthetic corks made from plastics and other non-cork materials. This is an interesting development, and it's coming into increasing use for less expensive wines, in which it seems to be a perfectly adequate alternative. There are several commercial brands, some of which use a cork-colored product as protective camouflage, while others use bright, bold colors in a sort of reverse-snobbery approach.
It's going to take a lot of experimentation before the wine industry can be certain that synthetics, crown caps and screw tops have the durability to protect wine during long-term storage; and it's going to take a lot of marketing before wine lovers give up our attachment to the traditional cork. But I wouldn't bet that the old-fashioned cork won't eventually go the way of the LP phonograph record.

Corkscrews: How to get out the cork
Before you can enjoy your wine, you must get the bottle open, and with fine wine, this can be a challenge. For the past 350 years or so, quality wine has been stoppered with a piece of cork, making it one of the few beverages that requires a special tool to open.
Corkscrews come in a variety of forms, from the traditional to the high-tech, but I recommend every wine lover get to know the standard "waiter's model" corkscrew, the inexpensive but functional implement that looks like a pocket knife, with a handle, a fold-out screw, and a lever that swings out from the end to help pry out the cork.
Carefully peel the foil or plastic "capsule" from the bottle neck, wiping away if necessary any sludge that may have accumulated around the end of the cork. Center the point of the corkscrew on the end of the cork and gently screw it in. Place the end of the swing-out lever against the edge of the glass bottle lip, and pry upwards, using no more force than necessary to bring out the cork slowly and gently.
Once you've removed the cork, wipe the neck again if there's any foreign matter on it, then pour your wine.

Crystals in wine: What are they?
The crystals at the bottom of a bottle of wine are usually a sign that the wine is of good quality. They are more common on red wine where they are stained by the wine and are regarded as part of the sediment. In white wine they remain clear, and some people fear they may be glass.
Not so. They are tartrate crystals formed as part of the aging process. Some wines are more susceptible than others due to the climate where they are made and the grape varieties used. German wines are often affected.
Because many consumers are upset by seeing these crystals in white wine and take them back to the retailer, most mass wine producers process the wine to precipitate and filter out the crystals. This process does, of course, result in a less complex and less interesting wine.
Thus I expect the wine you are referring to is a good quality wine, maybe from a boutique winery, that is developing in the bottle.
As long as the wine is stored properly then it should give you delight when you get around to drink it. However I suggest you do not keep the wine for too long.
Please reassure your friend that the crystals are totally harmless. Don't shake the bottle and pour the wine gently and they will all stay in the bottle

Decanting: How and why?
Most wines don't require decanting, but it is usually done for one or more of these reasons:

To separate clear wine from sediment, in the case of the rare wine (Vintage Port, older Bordeaux) that has "thrown" a large amount of sediment in the bottle.
To mix oxygen in to an ageworthy wine that is being opened while immature, in the hope that this process will somewhat soften its harsh, tannic astringency.
Simply for aesthetics, in the believe that an attractive crystal decanter looks prettier on the table than a bottle of wine. Most wine hobbyists wouldn't do this, since they're more interested in the label than the decanter.

So unless your wine is full of sediment or immature, or if you're planning a very elegant party and feel that a decanter would be an attractive way to decant the wine, there's really no need to do this. When you do decant a wine, the procedure is fairly simple, but the method differs depending on your purpose.

If you're decanting to avoid sediment, then you must pour very gently from the bottle to the decanter, taking care not to shake the bottle or pick it up and put it down repeatedly, so the sediment will stay at the bottom of the bottle and not mix into the wine. It's best to do this in front of a strong light so you can see when the muddy sediment starts to approach the bottle neck so you can stop pouring. (If you have a very fine wine and don't want to waste a drop, you can pour the last bit into a separate glass through a paper coffee filter.) The sediment, by the way, is harmless, but it's muddy and gritty and not pleasant to get into your glass.
If you're decanting to "breathe" an immature wine, then you should pour vigorously, with the idea of splashing as much air as possible into the wine.

Finding a specific wine
Reading about a wine that looks interesting but being unable to find it can pose a truly frustrating challenge to a wine lover. This is probably why one or our most frequently asked questions is, "Where can I find (fill in the blank) wine?"
With wine distribution as spotty and unpredictable as it is, varying among all 50 states of the U.S. and all the nations of the world, it's simply impossible for us to maintain a database of store inventories everywhere.
But here's my best advice on tracking down that elusive bottle: Always try near your home first.
The management of a fine-wine shop in your community can be your best friend in your quest to find a favorite wine. I'm not talking about neighborhood liquor shops but the specialty stores that cater to, and are usually staffed by, people who enjoy wine and like to talk about it.

Headaches from wine: Why?
Headaches resulting from wine are almost certainly not the result of sulfites, which occur naturally in all wines and are added to wines as a natural preservative by wine makers around the world. You can't buy a wine without sulfites; and if you were one of the 1 in 1 million people who has an allergy to sulfites, you wouldn't suffer headaches but serious, life-threatening breathing difficulties if you consumed any product containing them.
If you suffer headaches after drinking wine, here are some thoughts to consider:
Have you noticed any relationship between headaches and the amount of wine you consume? Even if you're only having a glass or two, sometimes a second or third glass will leave you with a headache aftereffect even if you didn't drink enough for impairment. Many people tell me that they get wine headaches at home but not when traveling. If you're like me, the sense of excitement and fun while traveling is sufficient to give you an extra shot of adrenaline that might carry you through that third glass without feeling the effects as much as you might at home.
Do your wine-consuming habits vary? For example, if you normally get headaches after drinking wine as a cocktail, without food, try having your wine with dinner instead; consuming wine and food together will certainly make a difference in its effects on you.
Finally, do you have seasonal pollen allergies? If so, you may be sensitive to "histamines," which also occur naturally in wines. Histamines are more concentrated in red wines than whites, so you might try switching to whites to see if this brings relief.
Friends who are highly sensitive to histamines tell me that common over-the-counter antihistimane allergy products work well to alleviate their symptoms. I would recommend carefully reading the cautions, particularly as they may relate to mixing the medication with alcohol (!), and if you're the cautious type, you might even want to seek your doctor's advice -- assuming your doctor approves of wine.
In fact, any time you have questions about your health and the effect of food and drink on your body, a chat with your family doctor is always a good idea.

How can I tell if a wine is dry or sweet?
Readers often ask if there's a simple way to tell sweet, light, dry or fruity wines by looking at the label. In fact, save for dessert wines, most table wines are "dry" (unsweet). But some dry wines are more fruity than others, and this fruitiness may communicate itself as slight sweetness.
There are many exceptions, so be aware that this list is only a general guide. But it offers a broad summary of popular wine grapes and types that might help give you a general idea of what's in the bottle:

SWEET: Dessert wines. Port, Sauternes, Cream Sherry. These are strong and very sweet, intended to sip after dinner, not to drink with meals.
LIGHTLY SWEET: German whites, Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer. "White" Zinfandel.
DRY, FRUITY REDS: Merlot, Zinfandel, Beaujolais
DRY, FRUITY WHITES: Chardonnay
DRY, TART REDS: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah, many Italian reds.
DRY, TART WHITES: Sauvignon Blanc (Fumé Blanc), many Italian whites.

How long will wine keep in an open bottle?
How long will wine keep once the bottle has been opened? This may be the one wine question I hear most often; and the short answer, I'm afraid, is, "not very long." Wine, like fresh fruit, is perishable, and air is its enemy. Once you've taken out the cork and exposed the liquid to oxygen, it starts to deteriorate fast. Wine shops sell a variety of preservation systems that suck the air out of opened bottles or squire inert gases in, but in my opinion, it's just about as effective simply to jam the cork back into the half-finished bottle. It will hold at room temperature for a day or two before its flavor starts to deteriorate seriously. Pop it in the fridge, and it might last for a week or more. Fortified wines like Port or Sherry may last a little longer, but much more than a week is pushing it.
Your best bet is simply to finish your wine within a couple of days ... use the leftovers for cooking ... or invite friends over to share.
One reassurance: Even if your wine gets too old to enjoy, it can't hurt you. It may lose its flavor and become flat, dull and unenjoyable, but it won't turn toxic.

How long will wine keep on the wine rack?
How long will wine keep on your wine rack? There's no clear-cut answer, because so much depends on the specific kind of wine in question and on the storage conditions under which you are able to keep it. In fact, very few wines are meant for aging. About 99 percent of the world's wines -- particularly those from the budget shelf -- should be drunk up promptly, while they are young and fresh. Most wines don't mature gracefully with age but simply lose their fresh fruit and become dull and tired. They are best enjoyed within a year of purchase.
The few wines that do merit "cellaring" are the sturdy reds, ranging from French Bordeaux and Rhones to the high-end Cabernet Sauvignons from California and Australia and some of the best Italian and Spanish reds. These are the wines most likely to mellow into a memorable, balanced complexity, given careful aging under good cellar conditions.
Fine wine should be kept in a cool, quiet place, lying on its side so the cork stays wet. A constant temperature of 55F (13C) is strongly preferred, but hard to attain in a modern home unless you have a natural wine cellar or expensive wine-refrigeration unit. Lacking this, if you can't keep your wine below 70F (21C), I don't recommend trying to cellar your wines for longer than five years or so. (Keeping wine in the refrigerator is not recommended for the long term, because it's too cold, and the frequent vibration of the compressor motor may be bad for the wine.)