12 Wine Myths Debunked

We’ve all heard at least one of them. How many have you fallen for?

Learning how to enjoy wine can be a daunting experience for beginners. With all the wine jargon and the sheer number of grape varieties and wine styles available, it’s little wonder a few ‘wine myths’ have crept in.

They may seem harmless, but some of these misconceptions about wine can derail your wine discovery journey. To help you make the most of your wine, let’s set the record straight about 12 common wine myths.

1. Wine always gets better with age

When you hear about wine auctions where exquisite old wines are sold for astronomical sums of money, it’s easy to assume that all wine gets better with age. In reality, only a small number of wines benefit from ageing. These tend to be of exceptional quality and often have notably high levels of tannins and/or acidity, as these elements help to preserve wine. Most wines are meant to be drunk within a couple of years after bottling.

2. Red wine should never be chilled

One of the first things most beginner wine drinkers hear is “only keep white or sparkling wines in the fridge” and “reds should be always served at room temperature”. Although in many cases red wine characteristics are best expressed at warmer temperatures than whites, there are some exceptions. The best red wines to try chilled are usually light- to medium-bodied with low levels of tannins, such as wines from Beaujolais and those made from the Pinot Noir grape. Don’t be afraid to try experimenting, or to ask your restaurant wine server what temperature they would recommend!

Top tip: ‘room temperature’ is probably cooler than you think. Ideal serving temperatures for red wines range from 13˚C-18˚C (55˚F-64˚F).

3. A silver spoon will keep your fizz fresh

We all know someone who puts a metal spoon or a fork inside the bottle of sparkling wine before putting it in the fridge, thinking it keeps the wine fizzy for longer. The rationale behind this sounds very convincing. The theory goes – as a good conductor, the metal spoon is quickly chilled in the fridge, the cold metal then emits cooler air around it, supposedly making it more difficult for the gas to escape from the bottle. However, this has been tested by many respectable researchers and it’s been found ineffective.

Top tip: If you don’t finish a bottle of sparkling wine, close it with a proper sparkling-wine stopper and keep it in the fridge. That is also the Comité Champagne’s advice for an opened bottle.

4. Screw cap equals low-quality wine

There are outstanding quality wines bottled under both corks and screw caps. Screw caps have now become mainstream in numerous wine-producing countries, particularly in ‘New World’ countries such as Australia and New Zealand. They’re popular among wine drinkers as they’re easier to open and store, and preferred by many winemakers and importers as they cause fewer faults to occur in the wine. Screw cap technology is always improving, and if you look closely you will find wines at all quality levels and most price points sealed with a screw cap.

5. Great wines have great ‘legs’

You know those clinging dribbles of wine that ooze down the inside of the glass once you’ve swirled? They’re often called ‘legs’ or ‘tears’ and some believe their appearance indicates the quality of wine. This is not the case – in reality, they can give you a clue as to the wine’s alcoholic strength, colour intensity or sugar content, but not its quality.

6. Wine in a box is mediocre

The type of container rarely affects the quality of the wine within it, but it can influence the wine’s shelf-life. But, because most wines aren’t meant for ageing, a bag-in-box pouch or even a metal can could contain fantastic wine, as long as it protects the tipple inside from light and air.

An increasing number of winemakers are looking for alternatives to glass bottles to make transporting wine more sustainable, and opening and consuming wine easier for the drinker. We’re likely to see more great wine being packaged in alternative formats in the future. So, don’t judge the wine by its packaging!

7. You need to spend £££ to drink delicious wine

The saying “you get what you pay for” doesn’t quite work with good-value wine. Of course, the plonk in the supermarket won’t match up to bottles that cost hundreds of pounds, but perfectly quaffable wine is easy to find all over the high street. Set a budget you are comfortable with and compare bottles within it. A higher price is not a promise that you will enjoy the wine more.

8. Sulphites cause hangovers

Alcohol is the main cause of a hangover, so a low-sulphite label does not make a wine hangover-proof. Sulphite sensitivity is a separate issue: some sensitive people can experience headaches after wine, as the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism explains. For more on the distinction, read our guide to red-wine headaches.

9. Only white wine goes with fish

Some white wines do complement the delicate flavours of certain types of fish, but it’s certainly not a blanket rule. The fish, cooking method and sauce matter more than a rule about colour. A light red with modest tannins can work with a richer fish dish; try a Pinot Noir with salmon, for example. Treat pairings as something to explore, rather than a test you can fail.

10. Wine doesn’t go with Chinese food.

Chinese dishes vary enormously, so there is no single wine pairing for the whole cuisine. Start with the dish’s sweetness, chilli heat and richness rather than ruling wine out. Riesling or a light Pinot Noir can be useful starting points, depending on what is on the table.

11. Sweet wines are for beginners, not educated palates.

Some of the greatest wines in the world are sweet. Sauternes, ice wines, trockenbeerenausleses (is a German language wine term for a medium to full body dessert wine) and so on are decadently sweet, immensely flavorful and also quite ageworthy. And generally the more educated palates are the ones that they most appeal to.

12. Dry Wines Have Fewer Calories

The more sugar, the more calories, right? Well, alcohol is also caloric. Just because the sugars have been fermented into alcohol doesn’t mean the wine is lower calorie.

Compare the finished wine’s alcohol, residual sugar and serving size. A powerful dry red wine can contain more calories per glass than a lower-alcohol wine with some sweetness. The Australian Wine Research Institute identifies alcohol and sugar as the main contributors to wine’s energy content.

If calories matter to you, check the nutrition information and the actual serving size. “Dry” describes sweetness, not a calorie limit, and alcohol levels vary within a wine style.

Read 12 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT RED WINE