How To Drink Red Wine: 8 Useful Tips, Health Benefits

Keen to know how to drink red wine the right way?

Your delicious Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and other reds should be served in the right glass, savoured elegantly, and paired with the right dishes to bring out their best flavors!

In this article, we’ll cover the 8 essential tips on how to drink red wine and the health benefits of drinking red wine.

8 Essential Tips On How To Drink Red Wine

Here are the most important tips on how to drink red wine the right way:

1. Check The Wine Label

Take a good look at the label of your red wine bottle. This will help you understand the grape varieties used in the blend, wine region, the wine’s flavor profile, alcohol content, and other characteristics.

2. Use The Right Wine Glass

Serve your red wine using the right wine glass. Pour a light-bodied red wine into a short wine glass - this helps give the wine enough contact with air. 

Meanwhile, serve a full-bodied red wine with a taller wine glass to allow the complex aromas to move around.

If you don't have a proper wine glass, use a slightly rounded glass3

3. Serve Your Wine Properly

For best results, serve your red wine at around 60°F.

If your wine bottle has a screw cap, simply twist it off to open the bottle. But if you have a corked bottle, drive a corkscrew into the cork and then lift it up.

Now, pour the wine into a decanter and let it breathe for about 15-30 minutes. From there, serve about half a glass or four ounces.

If you don’t have a decanter, pour the wine directly into your wine glass and swirl it. Leave it for about 20 minutes before drinking it.

4. Hold The Wine Glass By The Stem

To enjoy that fine red wine, you’ll need to hold your wine glass the right way.

Hold the wine glass by the stem to avoid heating up the wine and changing its flavor. To get a proper grip, place your thumb and index finger on the stem and rest the other fingers on the base.

5. Examine The Wine’s Texture

Tilt the wine glass and then hold it upright to observe its texture.

While doing this, observe the droplets that form along the edges of the glass. Bold droplets indicate rich flavor and high alcohol content.

6. Take In The Wine’s Aroma

Swirl your wine and get your nose to the rim of the glass to smell the aromas. Depending on the grape varieties used and the wine’s complexity, you should be able to identify various scents.

7. Taste The Wine

Let’s now get started with some wine tasting.

Sip the red wine a little and then swirl it in your mouth to fully absorb its flavor.

Hold the wine for a while, swallow it, and observe its aftertaste. A fine red wine will usually linger longer on your palate.

If you’re trying out different red wines, you’ll have to spit them out during wine tasting. This will ensure that you can taste and compare different wines without getting too drunk.

8. Pair Your Wine With The Right Food

To get the best red wine and food pairing experience, enjoy your light red wine with poultry, vegetables, and cheese. Meanwhile, full-bodied reds complement pasta, red meat, and Asian cuisine. 

What Are The Health Benefits Of Red Wine?

Alcoholic beverages like red wine contain resveratrol - a natural antioxidant that tackles oxidative stress and several illnesses such as heart disease.

Here are some of the health benefits of red wine consumption:

• Lowers The Risk Of High Blood Pressure: A significant health benefit of moderate red wine intake is its ability to reduce blood pressure. Research by the American Heart Association indicates that resveratrol may lower blood pressure and increase HDL “good” cholesterol.

• Improves Gut Health: The other health benefit of moderate red wine consumption is its ability to improve gut health. The polyphenols (red wine compounds) from this alcoholic drink can improve gut microbiota and contribute to a healthy gut.

• Lowers The Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease: Moderate consumption of red wine is often linked to good heart health. According to the American Heart Association, you could lower your risk of cardiovascular disease or heart attack by drinking a moderate amount of red wine.

Drink Your Luscious Red Wine Like A Pro!

As a passionate wine drinker, you should master the methods of drinking red wine. This takes a little practice, but it’ll make you confident to start exploring the world of red wines.

If you’re into fine wine investment, visit the Vinovest website. 

It offers a simple way to buy, store, and sell investment-worthy Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, red wine, white wine, sparkling wine, and other fine bottles from the Napa Valley and other global wine regions.