Observing, perceiving the aroma or tasting a great wine can produce enormous satisfaction whether one is an expert, an enthusiast or an occasional wine drinker. There's no doubt about that. But in order to enjoy it to its fullest extent, apart from the skill and concentration of the wine-taster or his/her knowledge, it is worth paying attention to a series of conditions which contribute to improving the results of the wine-tasting, such as the temperature of the bottle or the way to open and serve a wine. These all have an influence afterwards on the whole range of nuances we are provided with.

In the same way, choosing the ideal type of glass helps, significantly, when drawing out the best of a wine and in appreciating its most positive characteristics. It is not a question of snobbishness. It is a detail which is appreciated afterwards, when the wine treats our senses to an exquisite recital.

The temperature Instruments of the ceremony Uncorking and serving From white to red, from young wines to mature or reserve wines.

The most correct temperature for serving a wine is a subjective issue, but experience indicates that the qualities of a wine will be expressed in all their fullness within a certain temperature range. Low temperatures bring out the perception of the bitter flavours and warm ones increase the impact of the sweet flavours and the alcohol. The French enologist Emile Peynaud says that "the same red wine will seem lean and burning at a temperature of 22ºC, smooth and fluid at 18ºC, full and astringent at 10ºC".

A strong tannic red wine should be served at a temperture which is warm enough to reduce its astringency, but care should be taken because if its is too warm, its alcoholic content will become too dominant and it will lose many of its qualities.

The temperatures considered the most appropriate for serving each type of wine are as follows:

    Matured and full red wines: between 15 and 18ºC.
    Light and young red wines: between 12 and 15ºC.
    Dry white wines: between 7 and 10ºC.
    Sweet white wines: between 4 and 7ºC.
    Natural sparkling wines (champagne and cava): between 6 and 8ºC.

Any wine served over 20ºC loses practically all its entity. It should be remembered that a bottle of wine warms up between two or three degrees when it is brought into a dining room in a house with heating. For this reason, it is best to serve it when it is a couple of degrees below its ideal temperature. Sudden changes of temperature should also be avoided. Putting a bottle of cava or white or rosé wine in the freezer to cool it down is a widespread practice and also a terrible error. If a wine needs to be cooled down, it is preferable to put it in a container with ice and water and if it is a red wine, in a "wine bucket".

A "tool" which must be carefully chosen is the glass. To start with, the glass must not smell of detergent. Wine glasses should be washed with a neutral soap and lots of water, dried with a cloth and left upright so that they are not contaminated by foreign smells. The range of the types of glasses is very wide, but the experts recommend, principally, ones that are made of glass and have a long stem, a broad body and a mouth which isn't too open - if not, many of the qualities which are most appreciated in the wine-tasting may escape. Since 1970, there are sherry glasses which are standardised and recommended by the main enologists in the world.

There are other details which should not be forgotten in order to obtain the full range of sensations during the tasting ceremony, for example, the colour of the table cloth. If you use white table cloths, it is much easier to pick up the shades which are perceived visually.For example, if you use a blue table cloth, when you drink a white wine, it will appear greenish; rosé wines show up as a greyish colour; and young red wines, bluish.

Uncorking a bottle of wine is not just another step in the process. Sudden movements can be adverse for a wine with abundant sediments, the result of a prolonged maturing. Some experts recommend decanting these wines into another container, but this practice does not always have the desired effect. In most cases, decanting is useless, if not harmful. However, if a bottle of wine has been moved recently, it is best to leave it upright to rest a while.

The capsule of the bottle should be cut a few centimetres below the upper rim, or simply taken off completely. Afterwards, the mouth of the bottle should be cleaned with a cloth to get rid of the mould or the mineral salts which may have accumulated there.

The corkscrew is an instrument which is relatively easy to use, but it should remembered that the wine should not be subjected to sudden movements while taking out the cork. It is the corkscrew which should turn, not the bottle, and the cork should be pulled out gently and slowly. After that, the inside of the neck of the bottle should be wiped again before serving the wine in order to get rid of any particles which may have been left there.

Some people believe that you should wait a while before serving red wines so that they can "breathe", enter in contact with the oxygen, and display their best qualities but there is no scientific proof to support this idea. It is known that wine changes when exposed to the air, but, in many cases, for the worse.

The glass should never be filled more than half full and when serving wine, it is usual to serve the person who understands most about wine first, so that they can have a first taste and see if it is in good condition. Next, the women are served, followed by the rest of those present, ending with the host. If more than one wine is served, different wine glasses should be used.

When expecting to taste various wines at a tasting session - or a meal - the order of the wine tasting should begin with the youngest and lightest wines. The cool wines should be served before matured wines, the dry wines before the sweet ones, the whites before the reds and those with a lower alcohol content before those of a higher one. Each wine should prepare the palate for the next one and stimulate the taste buds without anaesthetising them.

When matching wines with the meal, it is advisable to use the following wines with the different dishes mentioned:

    Aperitifs: dry sherry, port or champagne.
    With oysters or seafood: dry light white wines.
    With fish: Dry white wines, but with more body and quality than those served with seafood.
    With meat: With grilled white meat, you can use matured white wines, although young red wines are the most appropriate.
    For roasts and grilled red meat: Full and matured red wines, as for game dishes.
    With desserts, the most appropriate ones are sweet ones, such as a port, sherry or a Málaga wine.