Top Wine Drinking Mistakes
   
    1. Serving White Wines Too Cold
    I list this first because, not only is this mistake common, but it is one of the most harmful to the wine tasting experience. Most people place a white wine – any white – in the fridge and take it out when they want to serve it. Fridge temperature is about 36 degrees, cold enough to eliminate most flavor and all subtly from most white wines. Full bodied whites, like Chardonnay, should be served at about 55 degrees which requires an hour-and-a-half in the fridge. Less textures wines, like Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc, can be colder since there is less depth to lose.
    2. Serving Red Wines Too Warm
    Everyone knows that red wines are supposed to be consumed warm but this does not mean at room temperature. Reds should be served at 65 degrees or below, slightly cooler than room temperature. A good rule of thumb that applies to red and whites is the more complex the wine, the higher temperature it should be served.
    3. Using the wrong glasses
    The bare minimum is two different types of glasses: a general purpose wine glass and champagne flute. Some drinkers say you need a separate glass for red and white wines, but I would say that is more of a luxury than a necessity. Brandy and cognac drinkers will definitely want to add a sniffer to their collection early on. As you get more interested in wine there is quite literally no limit to the number of different glasses available and the amount you can spend on them. For instance, Riedel has a separate glass for vintage champagne, a one for regular champagne, and one for sparkling wine. Until then, the basic two will work fine. Perception is an important part of tasting and even inexpensive wines deserve a real wine glass.
    4. Pouring too much wine in the glass
    5. Not Letting the Wine Breathe
    This isn’t just wine snobbery. Red wines will open up once they are opened and mixed with air. White wines also open up but not as much as reds. Decanting is a topic of debate among wine people. Separate from letting the wine sit after opening, decanting is pouring the wine into a special container to expose more surface area to air. Wines with a lot of sediment in the bottom will clear out with decanting but for the most part decanting is a matter of personal preference.
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