Wine Tip – By the Numbers

April 19th, 2009 | Author: Mark

Wine by the numbers Q & A

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 you should plan per guest during a full evening of entertaining? Answer: At least 1 bottle (750ml) per person. If it’s my sister-in-law Linda, we triple it! :) So know your crowd and plan accordingly.

3.) What’s the approximate number of servings in a standard size (750ml) bottle of wine? Answer: 5. The pour may be a tad light at 5. But 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 and a brandy snifter or “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? 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: Again, 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. That’s why I wish more wines used the bag-in-box system, it stays fresh much longer than a bottle. Box wines can stay fresh for a month or more.

10.) How many different bottle openers do I need? Answer: 1. Any wine bottle with a cork can be opened with a decent Spinhandle Screwpull.