It is no wonder that Stamford’s Napa & Co. took home the awards for Best Wine List and Bar of the Gold Coast this year. The Broad Street joint always promises a first rate dining experience. Gorgeous (and delectable) food by Chef Adam Truelove, a wine pairing for every palette, décor that catches the eye but settles the soul, and a dedication to educating her patrons (and staff) about fine wine all showcase owner Mary Schaffer’s impeccable taste in taste. Need to pick some unforgettable bottles for your upcoming holiday soiree? Not a fan of wine? We were lucky enough to receive some advice from Schaffer herself so that wine lovers and loathers alike can discover the best glass to have at hand.
Serving temperature matters
“Serving wine is not an exact science but I do believe most consumers don't realize how much you can alter a wine by serving it incorrectly,” explains Schaffer. “There are many restaurants that don't abide by this either.” According to Schaffer, the most favorable serving temperature is 65 degrees for a red wine and 55 degrees for a white.
Many people open a bottle of wine and let it sit it on their kitchen counter (not far from the stove) while they're making dinner. Within 15 minutes, this wine is now closer to 75 or warmer, depending upon the temperature in the room.
“A red wine served too warm, makes the tannins (dryness) more apparent. The little subtle aromatics are lost and the fruit is masked,” Schaffer says. “Serving a white wine immersed in an ice bath numbs the wine. You don't get any of the subtle elements on the palate or the aromatics.”
Don't believe her? Try it at your next dinner party. Show two bottles of the wine with a 10 or 15 degree difference, and taste!
Most wines don’t actually get better with age (so stop telling your wife she’s like a “fine wine” – stat)
“Wines with higher acidity will last longer,” Schaffer explains. “Acidity is the component that makes your mouth pucker. A New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is the best example of high acidity.”
Sauvignon Blanc? Sign us up. According to Schaffer, the cooler the climate, the more acidity the wine will display. As a wine ages, it slowly loses its acidity and flattens.
“Tannin is that natural element that comes from the skins of the grapes as well as the oak barrels when aged. Tannin gives structure to the wine,” Schaffer says. “Red wines with higher tannin levels will age better. As these wines age, the tannins soften, thereby allowing the fruit to show off.”
Some white wines can age well, regardless of tannin levels. These are wines high in sugar, such as well made Rieslings or complex Chardonnays and Champagnes that have had contact with oak.
Rosés are not so sweet
“In fact, most rosés are bone dry,” Schaffer says regarding the rosé myth. “Rosé wines are made from any red grape. The color is based on the grape of choice and duration of skin contact.”
According to Schaffer, rosé wines originate from the Provence region where the wines are often a blend with Grenache and Syrah.
“These are great wines for red wine drinkers to enjoy in the summer because they still offer some of the tannin structure. They also offer a nice bridge for white wine drinkers to begin to appreciate red varietals,” Schaffer explains. “The sugar level or sweetness is based on the levels of ripeness when the grapes are picked.”
Sulfur is used in winemaking
“There is no such thing as a wine that is 100 percent sulfite-free,” says Schaffer. “Sulfites develop naturally as a by-product of fermentation. Very simply, sulfites are a preservative to wine, which prevents wine from oxidizing. About 10 percent of people with asthma have severe sulfite sensitivity. It’s these people that will often suffer from headaches the following day.”
According to Schaffer, red wines have higher levels of sulfites as do wines with higher sugar levels – which is why you may get headaches when you steer away from your tried and true white.
“Sulfur is on the rise as a concern among humans as a cause of health problems (from migraines to body swelling) because of its prevalence in processed foods. Wineries have been using sulfur around wine for a long time, as far back as the Roman times,” explains Schaffer. “Sulfur started to be used in winemaking in the early 1900’s to stop bacteria and other yeasts from growing. If you have sensitivity to foods, you should absolutely try to eliminate sulfites from your diet. Eliminating wine could be necessary.”
Let’s try to avoid doing the unthinkable.
“There are wines that are almost sulfite-free because they haven’t added additional sulfites to preserve the wine,” Schaffer says. “However, these wines are not stable, and therefore have a very short shelf life.”
We decant wine for two reasons
“One, if you’re looking to soften a wine’s tannins. If it is a young wine that is ‘tight’ (tannic), it will often mask the fruit. If you decant this wine vigorously, you will allow oxygen to get through the wine and soften the tannin. This could equally work well with a tannic white wine, such as a California chardonnay,” Schaffer explains. “The second reason to decant wines is to separate the sediment from the juice of an older wine. The sediment is sold material made up of pigmented tannins and tartrates.”
“An older wine has already been naturally exposed to small amounts of oxygen through the cork, and the oxygen is slowly aging the wine,” continues Schaffer. “When you open an older more delicate wine, you decant it slowly and with very little disruption so as not to get too much oxygen exposure. You must also typically consume this wine quickly, as the oxygen will make the elements of the wine fall apart. In this scenario, we mean a wine like Chateau Lafite Rothschild Etikett 1961, Pauillac from Bordeaux.”
Better quickly than not at all! We’re game.
Napa & Co., Stamford
75 Broad St, (203) 353-3319