How do restaurants bring red wines up to temperature for serving?
I am presuming that restaurants with large lists keep most bottles in the cellar until required.
They may possibly keep a number of bottles at room temperature, but not convinvced that this is the case with the entire list.
I have heard that the microwave comes into play and a warm water bath.
Restaurant Wine Temperature - Reds
Bick wrote:I've always supposed they aren't actually cellared very cold in the main. However, using a microwave is a perfectly good way to warm wine, and I imagine its used extensively. It doesn't have any negative effect on the wine if you're careful and I often use this method myself.
Really?
Doesn't a microwave heat up the outside first, like a frozen dinner? Wouldn't this lead to too high a temperature for some of it?
Or because it is liquid, as the outer layer warms up, does the cooler inner liquid circulate to the outside?
Either way, this wouldn't work for a screw-cap, and the capsule will have to be removed from the bottle I presume...
Thus, I doubt very much restaurants would do this?
Anyways, as usual, happy to be educated...
Cheers,
Monghead.
monghead wrote:Bick wrote:I've always supposed they aren't actually cellared very cold in the main. However, using a microwave is a perfectly good way to warm wine, and I imagine its used extensively. It doesn't have any negative effect on the wine if you're careful and I often use this method myself.
Really?
Doesn't a microwave heat up the outside first, like a frozen dinner? Wouldn't this lead to too high a temperature for some of it?
Or because it is liquid, as the outer layer warms up, does the cooler inner liquid circulate to the outside?
Either way, this wouldn't work for a screw-cap, and the capsule will have to be removed from the bottle I presume...
Thus, I doubt very much restaurants would do this?
Anyways, as usual, happy to be educated...
Cheers,
Monghead.
Modern microwaves don't heat up in a point focussed fashion so you don't actually get hot spots. Moreover, you only give enough of a blast to warm it gently, so none of it gets hot - it just takes the chill off. 20 seconds on high for a 75 cl btl should do it. Interestingly, it does work for screwcap bottles - they are fine in a microwave - there's no problem with sparking whatsoever. I've been doing this for most bottles I bring up from the cellar in the winter, ever since it was recommended to me by Bob Campbell - he warms most of the red wine that he takes from his cellar in the microwave and has done taste tests to prove to himself there's no detrimental effect. He gives them all a 30 second blast on high.
Cheers,
Mike
Mike
Bick wrote:monghead wrote:Bick wrote:I've always supposed they aren't actually cellared very cold in the main. However, using a microwave is a perfectly good way to warm wine, and I imagine its used extensively. It doesn't have any negative effect on the wine if you're careful and I often use this method myself.
Really?
Doesn't a microwave heat up the outside first, like a frozen dinner? Wouldn't this lead to too high a temperature for some of it?
Or because it is liquid, as the outer layer warms up, does the cooler inner liquid circulate to the outside?
Either way, this wouldn't work for a screw-cap, and the capsule will have to be removed from the bottle I presume...
Thus, I doubt very much restaurants would do this?
Anyways, as usual, happy to be educated...
Cheers,
Monghead.
Modern microwaves don't heat up in a point focussed fashion so you don't actually get hot spots. Moreover, you only give enough of a blast to warm it gently, so none of it gets hot - it just takes the chill off. 20 seconds on high for a 75 cl btl should do it. Interestingly, it does work for screwcap bottles - they are fine in a microwave - there's no problem with sparking whatsoever. I've been doing this for most bottles I bring up from the cellar in the winter, ever since it was recommended to me by Bob Campbell - he warms most of the red wine that he takes from his cellar in the microwave and has done taste tests to prove to himself there's no detrimental effect. He gives them all a 30 second blast on high.
Thank you.
This is great! You know what I've been doing? Sitting on a cold bottle for 20-30 minutes, like i'm trying to hatch an egg. These days are now behind me!
Cheers,
monghead.
