Decoded: Different Types of Corks

We believe it is best to get this out of the way upfront: not all closures are made the same.  No one type is better or worse than another, they – like humans – are just different.  It takes all kinds. That said, let’s take a look at…

Sommelier at work. Confident male sommelier pouring wine to decanter while standing near the wine shelf

Decoded: On Breathing & Decanting

Most simply put, Breathing is allowing the wine to interact with Oxygen with the cork removed or poured into a decanter.  Decanting is the process of separating the sediment in your wine from the juice you desire (and possibly waited years to try).  Nothing is worse than an…

Transportation & Enjoyment (Musings on Bottle Shock & Travel Conditions)

To understand the ideas behind travel & bottle shock (bottle sickness, travel shock, shipping shock), we must first understand that wine is a living, breathing organism.  This is from the same understanding that is the basis of aging wines.  We’d always prefer a cool, dark cellar with stable…