Sealed with a Twist

One of the hottest trends in wine is not about what's in the bottle, but what's on top. Twist tops are in. What's not to love about these user-friendly closures? You don’t need a corkscrew (or skill) to open twist tops making the bottles more portable and perfect for a picnic. And if you don’t finish the bottle, just twist the cap back on. This innovative alternative to cork offers an airtight seal – and therefore the wines tastes fresher.

Twist and Shout
Twist tops are not a new technology, even for wine. A wave of wineries from Australia and New Zealand have been bottling their wine with twist tops for a long time. However, it used to be that twist tops were unreliable in keeping bottles sealed and were limited to inexpensive jug wines. Thanks to advances in technology and design, more and more twist top wines are being offered by prominent vintners.

Don’t Judge a Bottle by its Cover
So if twist tops are the ultimate solution, why hasn’t everyone embraced them already? For one, until the ultra premium brands lead the way, producers will be a bit hesitant. And more important, many wine drinks aren’t comfortable with them fully yet – some think twist top means the wine is “cheap”. For many people, the ritual of uncorking a bottle is a big part of the experience. And just for the record, you definitely should not sniff a twist top at a restaurant. But how about a cork? The jury is out; some experts say examining the cork can provide clues to the wines condition others say that just isn’t so. The consensus among wine experts is that twist tops are fine for any wine designated for short-term aging. Considering that the majority of wines are consumed the same day they are purchased, twist tops are an ideal stopper for everyday wines. In comparison, cork is a slightly porous product that when properly wet breathes just a bit, permitting the very limited air exchange that many vintners believe support optimal long term aging.

The Cork’s out of the Bottle
Cork comes from the bark of trees and has been used to plug wine bottles for centuries. Sometimes corks go bad, giving an “off” smell to the wine itself, thus the expression that a wine is “corked”. If you haven’t found a “corked” bottle of wine yet, you will. Yet, not everyone recognizes a corked wine. Simply said, instead of the wine tasting like ripe berries, violets, and vanilla the wine tastes like mold, must, and wet newspaper (think of a cardboard box left out in the rain). The beauty of twist tops is that they virtually eliminate the chance that a wine is "corked" -- affected by a substance dubbed TCA. This culprit, trichloroanisole, is a chemical compound that can render wine unpleasant and even undrinkable. This kind of spoilage is a growing problem, and the reason why a rapidly increasing number of premium wineries now seal their bottles with twist tops.

Twist tops are sealing the deal on a lot more wines these days; so give them a twist! In essence, the winemakers of the world are waiting to see what you think!

Top 10 Reasons to Choose Twist Tops
10. Twist tops remove the risk of cork taint
9. Twist tops are not affected by humidity
8. Old bottles do not need to be recapped
7. The wine stays fresher longer when resealed
6. Twist tops are easy to open
5. Twist tops are easy to reseal
4. There is no need for a corkscrew
3. Twist tops can be recycled
2. Robert M. Parker, Jr., the world's foremost wine guru, predicts that twist tops will dominate the industry by 2015
1. Twist tops are romantic because they maintain the quality of the wine and of the moment

Summer Chillin'

With summer in full swing, it's easy to find yourself pouring wine that is either too cold or too warm. Just as the right glass will enhance your wine experience, serving wine at the ideal temperature is equally as important. When it comes to knowing what temperature to serve a wine follow this easy to remember tip - twenty minutes before serving, take the white wine out of the fridge, and put the red wine in. This rule is intended to fix the two most common mistakes in wine service; serving white wines too cold and red wines too warm.

Now, this is not something to lose sleep over, but the fact is that properly chilled wines do taste noticeably better. Serving wine at its proper temperature enables you to taste the wine at its full potential. Most of the enjoyment that comes from drinking wine involves its aroma. Taste only has four aspects - sweet, sour, salty, acid. The nose does the rest. Vapors are created as wine warms up, so the wine needs to be a few degrees below its ideal drinking temperature for you to enjoy it at its finest. To be confident the wine you serve will be on its best behavior know the whole story.

Red, Red Wine
If you've heard the old adage that red wines need to be served at "room temperature" don't forget that "room temperature" can be considerably higher in the summer. Most red wines are at their best at cool room temperature, 62 to 65 degrees fahrenheit. Light reds benefit from being served slightly cooler than full bodied reds. Keep reds too warm and they will taste alcoholic and even vinegary. Too cold and they will have an overly tannic bite and much less flavor.

Refreshing Whites
Just as many reds are served too warm, most white wines are definitely served too cold. Fine white wines are best between 58 and 62 degrees. Simpler, inexpensive, easy drinking type white wines are best served colder between 50 and 55 degrees. Chilling white wines properly preserve their freshness but too cold and they will be nearly tasteless. White wines served too warm will taste alcoholic and flabby.

Bubbling Beauties
Sparkling wines should start out totally chilled and are best served between 40-45 degrees. Put them in the refrigerator an hour and half before serving or in an ice bucket with water for at least 20 minutes before serving. For vintage-dated Champagne and other high-quality bubbly, you should let the bottle warm up a bit if you don't want to miss out on the mature character for which you’re probably paying extra. Wine will not stay at a constant temperature once it's out of the fridge so keep an ice bucket handy or put the bottle back in the refrigerator between pourings. You needn't become a maniac with a thermometer to get wine to the right temperature range; a little experience and a little tasting, and the wine itself will tell you everything you need to know. So chill this summer and enjoy a perfectly chilled glass of wine.