True wine lovers take their wine seriously. If you’re a self-proclaimed wine lover, keep in mind that there are a few serious vino no-nos. Here’s a quick list of five things a true wine lover would never do.

#1 They would never use ice cubes to chill wine.

You may love your Chardonnay on the rocks but, ice cubes do nothing but water down the taste of wine. Your wine lover reputation would be better off chilling the bottle in the freezer for 15 minutes.

#2 Or drink from a warm wine glass.

If your wine glass just came out of the dishwasher, give it time to cool down or run it under cold water for a minute or two before pouring a glass. The heat will taint your first impression of the wine and a true wine lover would never allow that.

#3 They would never serve red wine at room temperature.

When a bottle is served borderline warm, the tannin levels can seem harsher, meaning the wine is less pleasing to drink. The bottle would be better slightly chilled – five to ten minutes in the fridge usually does the trick.

#4 Or sip champagne from a flute.

Is this one surprising to you? Champagne flutes were designed to trap bubbles so that they flow vertically for aesthetic purposes only. The problem with the design of the flute is that they trap the scent of the wine so you don’t get a sniff with each sip. Instead, champagne should be enjoyed in a white wine glass or universal glass.

#5 Or store wine in direct sunlight.

Even if wine is in a wine fridge, direct sun can cook wine and change its flavor profile from fresh and ripe to a more concentrated, stewed fruit. Or it can make it taste burnt. No thank you!

Cheers,
Natalie