How to Serve Sparkling Red Wine

Sparkling red wine is a delicious alternative to champagne.

Sparkling wines, such as champagne, are a fun and bubbly alternative to regular wine. Similar to champagne, sparkling red wine has carbon dioxide added to it to make it fizzy. Sparkling red wine can be served with appropriate meals, desserts or enjoyed alone. The taste of sparkling red wine can vary depending upon whether it's chilled or not. Serve the wine in the manner best-suited for it to enjoy its full flavor.

Instructions

1. 

   Wine cellars are made to store wine in specific conditions that contribute to the best flavor.

   Store your sparkling red wine in a cellar or location where the temperature remains between 51 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place your bottle of sparkling red wine in the refrigerator 30 minutes to two hours ahead of serving when a climate-controlled location, such as a cellar, isn't available. Chilling the wine for this amount of time will bring the wine temperature to the proper range.

3. Chill your wine glasses for 30 minutes to help maintain the temperature of the sparkling red wine once it's opened.

4. 

   Use a wine decanter for red wines kept in a wine cellar.

   Pour wine that's been stored in a wine cellar into a wine decanter to open up the flavor of the red wine.

Tips & Warnings

• While guidelines often recommend serving sparkling or red wines at room temperature, this rule isn't hard and fast and those living in warmer climates tend to drink it chilled.

• Keep an extra wine glass nearby to catch the foamy overflow once you open your bottle of sparkling red wine.

• Hold a kitchen towel over the cork to prevent it from flying across the room and hurting someone.

• While sparkling red wine can be served in any glass, a proper wine glass gives you the opportunity to see, smell, taste and hold the wine in a manner that adds to the enjoyment.

References

• Wine Tasting Guides: Sparkling Red Wines
• The Wine Society: How to Serve Wine
• Consumer Reports: Wine Buying Guides: Serving & Storage