So now is the time to start thinking about your wine preparation...
Do you have a decent decanter? Is it clean, or does it have the residue from a bunch of gerberas that were plonked in it when the flower vase went missing? Rotting Gerberas don't add a lot to the character of genteel older wines, so how about giving it a good wash now. If the rotting Gerberas got the opportunity to dry into a crusty scab reminiscent of the remains of an old Barossa Shiraz, a handful of dry rice, a slice of lemon, some water and a vigorous shake should do the job.
If you're lucky enough to be contemplating drinking old reds under cork, do you have a decent opener? By that, I mean a double prong butler's friend, not a second rate waiter's friend with a screw that would be better put to use picking stuff out of work boots that you nicked from the local RSL. Put one on the Xmas list if you don't.
If that fails , which quite often can with older corks, are you prepared for dealing it? Fine strainer? Funnel? No point letting a great wine go to waste because of a few entirely predictable and natural floaty bits. Be like a boy scout and be prepared (the shorts are up to you).
Under no circumstances do I want any of you to be ringing me in January complaining that the cork broke when you attempted to open a 20 year old sublime red with one of those hideous wingy things. You've been warned..
Do your homework on your drinking windows and decanting times. If you're opening something older and you're not sure how it's holding up, put the time in and call the producer. They'd (we'd) much rather hear from you ahead of the game and have a nice chat about what to expect than deal with the disappointment after you've opened a bottle with high expectations, left it to fade for four hours too long, only to find it as past it as granny at 4pm on Xmas day with a few sherries and a bottle of Moscato under her belt.
Also take the time to get your older reds out a few days ahead of time and stand them upright to let the sediment settle. Yes Dorothy, there will be sediment. It's as inevitable as Toto begging at the table for the turkey left overs. No Xmas pork, ham or roasted onions for the pooches by the way. Vomiting dogs don't add to the atmosphere and a trip to the vet on Boxing Day is going to cost you more than the wine did.
Lastly, if your gem fails to shine, please don't tip it down the sink in disgust. Jam the cork back in, quietly put it to one side and open something else. Then at your leisure call the number on the bottle and talk to the people who care. Hopefully it won't be me but experience & statistics tell me in some cases it probably will.
Don't forget to put the bubbly in the fridge Xmas eve so they're ready for breakfast and if there's not Sparkling Shiraz on your table by lunchtime you should be ashamed to call yourself Australian..
