Santa Claus is Coming to Town – Here’s Your List
…Making a list and checking it twice! I posted a wine tip earlier this year, and thought that it would be a useful and helpful piece to share again for your holiday party planning.
1. What’s considered a “full” glass of wine? Answer: About a ½ glass. A half full glass allows the swirling folks to play “merry-go-round” with their wine.
2. How many bottles of wine should you purchase for a full evening of entertaining? Answer: Assuming you have a bunch of wine drinkers – at least 1 bottle (750ml) per person. Note: You gotta know your crowd and plan accordingly. If you’ve got guests coming that you know can throw’em back; best to buy more wine or be prepared to holler “Last Call! But you’re welcome to stay for a cup of Nescafé Crème de Menthe coffee…”
3. What’s the approximate number of servings in a standard size (750ml) bottle of wine? Answer: 5. The pour is a tad light at 5. But generally speaking, you get about 4-5 glasses per 750ml bottle depending on the generosity of the person pouring the wine.
4. How many calories are in a glass of wine? Answer: A standard bartender’s pour is considered to be 5 ounces. The approximate number of calories based on a 5 oz pour is between 100 and 150 calories.
5. How many different glasses do I need? Answer: 1 red and 1 white wine glass. Or, just one great all-purpose glass. If you like the bubbly stuff or wear an ascot and a smoker’s jacket, then you’ll need a Champagne flute, a brandy snifter, or maybe even a cocktail glass too!
6. How long do I need to fully chill a white wine in the fridge before serving it? Answer: About 2 hours.
7. How long do I need to fully chill a red wine in the fridge before serving it? Answer: None. Most red wines should be served at room temperature unless you’re dealing with a “cross-dresser” red wine like Beaujolais or Pinot Noir. It all depends if you prefer to serve these particular types of reds at room temperature or with a little chill on them.
8. What’s the best storage temperature for wine to not freeze or “cook” it? Answer: Generally speaking an ideal storage temperature would be somewhere in your home that is constantly between 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s why the basement makes for an ideal cellar.
9. How many days do leftover wines keep? Answer: Generally speaking, about 2 days. White wines tend to last a little bit longer than reds. I would say that red wines should be finished the day after opening it. If the wine comes in a box, you’ve got a month to suck it all down.
10. How many different bottle openers do I need? Answer: One that is sturdy and capable of opening several bottles over the course of an evening. Any wine bottle with a cork enclosure can be opened with a decent and relatively inexpensive Spinhandle Screwpull.













Thank you for not including me in this post!
I'm holding out until Christmas.