Journal

The Holiday Gift Guide for Wine Collectors

Buying for a wine collector is harder than it looks. The obvious gift, a bottle, is risky: they probably know more about what's in their cellar than you do, and...

How to Decant Aged Bordeaux: Sediment, Timing and Technique

If any wine is synonymous with decanting, it's red Bordeaux. The classic image of a sommelier pouring a bottle over a candle flame comes straight out of the Bordeaux tradition,...

Decanting Aged Red Burgundy: A Gentle Approach to Old Pinot Noir

Of all the old wines you might pull from a cellar, mature red Burgundy is the one people handle most nervously, and with good reason. Pinot Noir from the Côte...

How to Decant Old Barolo (and Other Aged Nebbiolo)

Few wines reward patience the way Barolo does. Made from Nebbiolo in the hills around the village of Barolo in Piedmont, it starts life with fierce tannin and high acidity,...

Cork Crumbled Into the Wine? Yes, You Can Still Drink It

Cork bits in your wine are harmless and don't mean the bottle is bad. Here's how to get the pieces out, how to open a cork that's crumbling, and how...

What Is Wine Sediment Called? Names, Safety and How to Remove It

Sediment, deposit, lees, tartrates, wine diamonds: what the bits in your wine are called, why they're there, whether they're safe to drink, and how to get the clear wine off...