The trend of gifting wine bottles or serving wine at dos and get-togethers seems to be finally catching up. But how do you know which wine to serve? And how to serve it? Shamita Singha, a sommelier, shares some tips.

Shamita had her first sip of French red wine when she was 18, and she fell in love with it. “I have a past life connection with wine,” she confesses. Ever since, she has been researching on wine, while modeling along side. She even did a course in wine tasting in London.

Drink it at the right temperature: For champagne or sparkling wine, the right temperature is 6o. Serve white wine at 10-12o so that it doesn’t taste flabby. In India, red wine should be cooled down 10-14o.

Drink it in the right glass: A sparkling wine has to be drunk in a flute glass, so it preserves the bubbles. White wine, on the other hand, can be enjoyed in a smaller bowled glass. However, red wine must be had in a bigger bowled glass so it has more surface area to breathe when you pour it in.

Wine can be had on its own or with food: While there are lots of combinations that can complement wine, you have to let your palette be the guide. If you enjoy your glass with a certain starter, that’s your pairing. But the thumb rule is that the flavours of the food not overshadow that of the wine.

Once open, finish it: That’s very important, because if you keep it overnight, it loses its freshness and flavour, much like a packet of chips.