5 great tips to know before taking red wine

Red wine is usually made from dark-colored (black) grape varieties with colours ranging from violet, brown and brick red for older and matured wines respectively.

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There are different types of red wines and they work differently with certain foods (reports reveal some food taste better with red wine).

There are countless bits to red wine but to get the best out of yours, these five tips help greatly:

1. Never gulp down red wine, instead hold in your mouth for about five to six seconds to savour the wine's taste.

2. Red wines about/older than 10 years should be decanted (emptied into a decanter) before drinking so that the sediment will settle all the way at the bottom of decanter where its then poured to drink.

3. To determine if you like a wine or not, take note of your taste buds within the first 30 seconds of drinking; the first 15 seconds will amplify the acidity or flavour of the wine where the next 15 seconds allows the taste and texture linger which will determine whether you will like it or not.

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4. NEVER serve red wines chilled/with ice or too warm. Red wines are best kept at room temperature. If it is very cold, it tends to become icky with a bitter taste and when it's too warm, the alcohol content becomes more potent overpowering the wine's real taste.

5. Use the right wine glass. Red wine glasses should be very clear. Glasses for red wines are short and wide with a balloon/bowl-like shape.