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Lesson 4: Do's and Dont's

Here are a few things you should and should not do concerning wine.

Do:  Open your wine early to let it breathe before you drink it. As Tyler divulged, "All those flavors have been cooped up in that bottle for a few years and need a little oxidation to loosen the layers of flavor in the wine so you can experience them all."

Don't:  Hold the glass by the bell, but rather the stem. Holding the bell will warm the wine. Whether white or red -- no one likes hot vino. Though you can swirl a red in your hand if it is too cold.

Do: Serve your wine at the proper temperature. Whites vary between 45-60 degrees, but reds are a little more stable -- most should be served around 65 degrees, just below room temperature.

Don't: Expect the "legs" of the wine to tell you anything about the quality of the wine. It really only tells you how viscous the liquid is.

Do: Buy a wine key to open your wine.  A well-wielded wine key can serve all the corking needs for even the most experienced wine consumer.

Don't:  Feel like you need to buy an expensive, gigantic cork removal gadget to be a true professional. Some of the models of the simple to operate cork-pullers can't be used on older bottles, because of their very specific lip shape.

Don't: Be intimidated or stressed out by wine. It's about learning what you like and sitting back to enjoy your vino.

Do: Ask more experienced wine tasters to aid you in your decisions. Tyler considers himself a "wine doctor" and can usually diagnose the proper wine for anyone by asking two or three questions.