French

To elutriate, air the wine. They are two quite distinct operations: decanting consists in removing the deposit which is at the bas of the bottles and ventilation makes it possible to reduce tannins of the young wines and sulphur dioxide (especially marrowy wines). Personally, I like the wine in his bottle but I elutriate it and airs it nevertheless! (young wine only, is less than 5 to 7 years according to the type of wine); how? do not repeat it, it would be regarded as a sacrilege by some although with my precautions, I would be more respectful than well of others. I very slowly pour the wine in the container out of glass of the coffee machine, by well taking care not to form a jet, but to only a flat stream both along the funnel and glass  (coffee pot), which will be held in skew. The decanting could be made at the end by observing the bottle which must be quite enlightened : stop before the passage of the deposit or put a filter at the bas of the funnel (cotton, coffee filter). Make the reverse operation then, from the glass container to the bottle, by inclining it well to make running the wine without shock, like previously ;  largely sprinkle the funnel by the side part so that a fine wine stream  is formed before running slowly in the bottle; the molecules should not be hustled !! Here the critics of an oenologist about the tasting procedure of a high-class wine, he had  observed late 2004 :      1/ the wine waiter opened the bottle upright on the table with an ordinary corkscrew  (in the worst case, one must open it at side, held in skew with a corkscrew with lever. In this case, he told that the bottle had to be uncorked before)      2/ the wine was poured in a carafe in order to air it and elutriate it (an old high-class wine must be served in its bottle, very little aired by uncorking one to three hours before.      3/ the wine waiter sniffs the neck of the bottle as well as the stopper immediately after the opening (one must wait a little that the foul air have disappear and that oxygenation is done, otherwise, one breathes a stinking and bitter odor).      4/   the wine waiter makes spin the wine in his glass (one does not because that breaks the molecules; however, one sees sometimes the tasters thus practising, with special glass, to make go up the perfumes).

Which wines to air. One airs "copiously" only young wines, i.e less than 5 years. For a high-class wine, rather old (up to 7/8 years), you can only uncork it three hours before the service or even one hour for a very old one. Some air white wines and champagnes. Tasting the wine. Learn after your own taste !! High-class wine must not to be swalowed straight down swallowed like a common one. Especially pay attention checking that the taste of the selected wine of the mouthful is rather powerful and stable from the beginning to the end and that it is prolonged well (one to two second) without deterioration (final roughness, bitterness, acidity).  Quantity ; If you like the wine, half a bottle per person seems normal for a good meal with friends of you (a little more for the men, a little less for the women (macho?). With some white wine for starting, that can be a little more; avoid the mixtures. Which wine ? The wine is personal business and not of specialist, excepted if you are really able to distinguish the odour from wood, the tobacco, liquorice or ripe raspberry !! that does not prevent getting information and from being cultivated. One can drink red wine (simple, Gamay kind) with fish. Once more, Temperature. The ambient temperature must be favourable : avoid strong heats of summer (a simple and fresh wine, inexpensive will be better appreciated ). Thermometer. You probably don't have a special wine thermometer. You can get a valid indication with an ordinary model, firmly maintained against the bottle with a rubber band (I experienced it)

Storage. If possible store it in fresh not too wet and dark (no light). Significant temperature variations can be supported, and so it is in my cellar: but variations must be slow (not from one week to another with a big gap). In such a condition, the wine ages only more quickly. Who has these cellars ideal described in the books ?  in your flat, do not hesitate to store small quantities, by choosing the best protected place (especially from heat), and protect from the light). Need of grids, cases, blocks of plastic and other stuff that flourishing each year. After having put them on metal trays, I choose a storage in boxes and shelves, in which the bottles are ones against the others per small quantities ; 8, 12 or more, it does not matter, the problem being a handy access and an easy identification (for the good bottles, I personally practice a labelling on the neck). One so gains some room and I believe that this contact increases the effect of mass which will slow down the possible variations. Think at preserving a good ventilation ; do not lock up them in an insulated and well closed cupboard. Not expensive Wines  ? yes, one can find an acceptable Bordeaux for 3 €, but it is exception.. Taste two or three bottles together with your family or friends, eating a chicken of good quality, a red meat along with a gravy. You will spend at least a good time. If you taste a rather good one, write to the producer (tariffs). Go to the co-operatives during your vacation and taste cheap local wines. Bordeaux is victim of its name and one very often finds there the worst (mainly in supermarkets). St Emilion is perhaps the surest. Think of the valley of the Rhone and Provence, of which Luberon. A very good young wine can cost 20 €, an old wine 50/70 €. or 200 and more €€/$$/ ££ !! If the opportunity arises (foire or producer), buy a young high-class wine (and thus less expensive), if you can correctly keep it (*) for 5 to 10 years (more than the year of the sticker). The producers endeavour to reduce the duration of ageing, which can be up to twenty years or more for certain high-class wines. A good wine put on sale has already two or three years.

Are Wine's Pleasures All in Your Head ?  Culture's objects of ridicule.  In press accounts of two studies on wine psychology; consumers have been portrayed as dupes, subject to the manipulations of marketers, critics and charlatan producers who have cloaked wine in mystique and sham sophistication in hopes of better separating the public from its money.
One of the studies was devised by Robin Goldstein, a food writer, to try to isolate consumers from outside influence so they could simply judge wine by what's in the glass. He had 500 volunteers sample and rate 540 unidentified wines priced from $1.50 to $150 a bottle. The results are described in a new book, "The Wine Trials". A dollars 10 bottle of bubbly from Washington state out-scored Dom Pérignon, which sells for $ 150 a bottle while Two-Buck Chuck, the cheap Charles Shaw California cabernet sauvignon, topped a $55 bottle of Napa Valley cabernet.
"Their results might rattle a few wine snobs, but the average oenophile can rejoice : 100 wines under $ l5 consistently outperformed, their upscale cousins, the article said.
In fact, the book shows that what appeals to novice wine drinkers is significantly different from what appeals to wine experts, which the book defines as those who have had some sort of training or professional experience with wine. The experts preferred the Dom Pérignon.
In second hand, it was demonstrated that the more expensive consumers think a wine is, the more pleasure they are apt to take in it. Invariably people  preferred the one was the most expensive. This is not a big surprise. Sommeliers all over know that the hardest wine to sell in a restaurant is the cheapest bottle on the list.
The fact is, the correlation between price and quality is so powerful that it affects not just our perception of wine but of all consumer goods.
It's not just about wine, it's about everything! " said Professor Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of the book "Predictably Irrational: "If you expect not to get something as good, lo and behold, it's not as good, Professor Ariely said.

The little red wine that is so delicious in a Tuscan village never tastes the same back home in New Jersey.
And ultimately context may be the most underated aspect of enjoying wine. Tyler Colman, a wine writer and blogger (drvino.com), bas a book coming out this fall, "A Year of Wine," that focuses on context. "The mood and the food and the context really matters," he said. "It's the neglected pairing:"
Just as understanding how to dress for certain occasions is intuitive for many people, so, too, does it become instinctive over time for wine lovers to know which is the proper bottle to open. But that requires experience of many different wines. Eventually the novelty of great wines, or expensive wines, can wear off.
If only we all could achieve that sense of freedom and zen-like serenity, where we've had our fill of all else and can simply choose the right wine because it's the right wine.    Digest from the New York Times "All Wine's Pleasures All in  Your Head  ? "New York Times", Le Monde, 24 May 2008.

Long time air spoil the wine. A barrel or a vat is not in open air, but a neutral gas (nitrogen) or mix of air and sulfur (cheap process). They are injected inside while they are emptied. Wine cardboard (wine in bag) or decorated plastic bag :
There is no limit of preservation printed on the packaging, but a limit is given once the tap open: why ? the plastic bag shrinkle itself gradually as the wine is draught to prevent the air to enter. Well it's because the air enter a little, I have checked that one day after finding a change in taste. We can avoid this if we should or want to keep the wine. Get out the plastic bag from the box and put it flat, tap upside of course. Press lightly on the tap opposite end or roll the plastic bag asfor a dispenser tube; open the valve a little until the wine overflows.

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