Short Lesson in Wines

In the households of long ago, not only did the butler select the right wines for the food chosen by the lady of the house and her cook, he was responsible for the actual racking, doctoring and bottling of it, as well as the up keep of the cellar book. These oenological functions were usually performed early in the morning, before the rest of the household was up and about. Prior to the meal, he decanted the sherry, port, and red wine, chilled champagne and white wine, and tasted the wine before it was served to ensure that it was acceptable. From newspaper reports and servants' manuals from the period, it seems that insobriety was a common failing among butlers and probably one of the reasons why masters in the nine-teenth century began to take more of an interest in the contents of their cellars.

Wine is best stored horizontally in a clean, dark, dry place. Ideally it should be kept at approximately fifty-four degrees Fahrenheit, with no substantial changes in temperature or movement. But while it is better to keep wine cooler than the ideal rather than warmer, consistency of temperature is the most important factor in wine storage.

Decanting an older wine, particularly a red wine, may contain sediment. Take the bottle from the cellar the day before serving and stand it upright; most of the sediment will settle to the bottom. To decant, clean clean the bottle with a damp cloth, uncork and then slowly pour contents into a decanter, using a light or candle placed behind the bottle. This allows you to see the sediment approaching the neck. If lack or notice or forethought prevents you from standing the bottle upright for twenty-four hours, the next best thing is to remove the cork as gently as possible while holding the bottle at a 45 degree angle. Double two layers of cheesecloth over the neck of the decanter. Gradually bringing the bottle to a horizontal position, pour the wine very slowly through he cheese cloth, using a candle to forewarn the approach of sediment. Leave the last small portion of the wine in the bottle if the sediment is very heavy. It's better to have ninety percent clear wine than one hundred percent of murky, gritty wine.

 I hope that this has not been completely boring but helpful in some way!