There is no mystery to this but it’s amazing how some of the old rituals have intimidated us all. Here are a few pointers that will help you serve wine:

Temperature: Truth is that we often serve red wine too warm and white wine too cold. First reds – the old adage is to serve at room temperature.That’s all well and good but depending on where you live and the time of year, room temperatures can vary widely. When reds get too warm above 76 degrees or so the alcohol begins to volatilize or evaporate. This can do funny things to the flavor and aromas of wine and cause the wine to be unbalanced. Ideal serving temperature is in the 66 to 72 degree range. It’s perfectly acceptable to stick a red wine in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or so to get it to this temperature. For whites we often take them right out of the refrigerator which is somewhere in the neighborhood of 38 degrees. At this temperature the wine is completely “closed” and you can’t taste or smell very much at all. Unscrupulous restaurants will sometimes take advantage of this in their wines by the glass. If they’ve got a white that isn’t very good, they’ll serve it to you very cold so that you can’t taste how poor it is! Best to serve most whites in the 45 to 55-degree range so they flavors and aromas can emerge. This means take them out of the fridge at least 20 minutes or so before serving.

Letting Red Wines “Breathe”: One of the oldest myths that still hangs on is that wine, reds especially should be opened ahead of time to let them “breathe” (it always conjured up for me little lungs in the bottle!). The reason given for this is that airing will help the wine to open up and develop flavor. If you think about it very little air is going to get to the wine through the narrow opening of the bottle neck. If you want the wine to “breathe”, the best way is to splash it into a glass and swirl it around vigorously as you enjoy it. The only exception is with old, fragile wines where opening too early can actually diminish the flavor.

In recent years we’ve seen the development of a whole host of wine aerators built into pourers, spouts and more. The idea is that wine (either white or red) is improved by vigorous swirling, even more than you can do when poured in a glass. Turns out that this is in fact, true. Next time you open a bottle of wine, pour a glass and take the rest and actively splash it back and forth between a couple of decanters for at least a couple of minutes. Pour a glass of the “agitated” wine and compare it to the one straight from the bottle. I’ll bet you’ll prefer that which has been actively aerated.

Decanting Red Wines: It’s a charming practice but unless you have some old trophy wines it’s not necessary. Most red wines made today have been filtered to remove sediments and, although there is a school that believes that this diminishes the flavor, most of us will rarely encounter a wine that needs decanting.

If you do have a wine that is labeled “unfiltered” my advice is to stand the bottle upright and undisturbed for a day or two and then open it carefully making sure not to disturb the sediment on the bottom. You can then slowly and carefully pour it into a decanter or pitcher in one pouring until you begin to see sediment in the neck of the bottle. If the bottle is dark glass, do it over a lit candle or flashlight so that you can see the liquid. Stop at that point and if you’ve done it properly you should only have an ounce of so of cloudy wine left in the bottle.

Choice of a wine glass: Most people know that it is traditional to serve different wines in different glasses – at least to the extent of having different styles of glasses for red wine, white wine, and champagne or other sparkling wines. But did you know that there are particular styles of glasses for Chardonnay or Cabernet?

Here are my suggestions. It’s really not so terribly important which glass you use unless you’re a serious traditionalist. The single exception is the glass you choose for sparkling wines like Cavas or Champagne. For these you want a tall, narrow, flute-shaped glass, which encourages and shows off the bubbles. Never, never use the flat, round, saucer-shaped glass. For still wines choose a glass that allows you to perform the three S’s easily: that is, Swirl, Sniff, and Sip. You want a good-sized bowl on the glass so that when you swirl you won’t spill wine all over you, and swirling helps develop the aroma. Finally, the bowl needs to be big enough for even the largest nose to fit in, to enjoy the liberated aromas while you sip which means that you shouldn’t fill it more than half full. Also choose glasses that are perfectly clear, so you can enjoy the color of the wine. Finally for sweet wines like ports, sherries and late harvest varietals, don’t use those little dessert wine glasses. Sweet, rich dessert wines have lots of amazing aromatics so pour them into a glass that allows your nose plenty of room to enjoy them

A great way to learn about wine is to stage a wine tasting party next time you and friends get together. I recommend concentrating on one varietal or type such as Chardonnay or Merlot so as not to confuse your palette. Have everyone bring a favorite bottle then put them in brown paper bags to cover the label and identify them only with a number or letter. It’s a good idea to limit the tasting to no more than 6 wines.

Pour them out (you can usually rent extra wineglasses locally at a party supply store at a decent price). Use a grease pencil or small stick-on label to mark each glass with the corresponding letter or number so that you minimize any chance of confusion. Be sure to pour each glass no more than 1/3 full to allow each taster plenty of room to swirl and swish the wine to develop its aroma. Provide each taster with a simple score sheet so that they can individually note what they like about each wine then have them rank the wines in order of preference. Do this part quietly and individually and after everyone has finished their own ranking, have one of the group total them up. Once the group ranking is known, individually reveal each wine from the bottom to the top of the ranking, discussing them as you go along (be sure to have some plain French bread and maybe a simple cheese on hand to help clear the palette as you taste thru each wine).

You’ll find it’s a lot of fun and a great way to discover new wines that you might not have tried before. Like food, preferences in wine are very individual so there really is no right or wrong answer (if you have a “wine geek” or “cork dork” or wine “expert” in your group, be sure to remind them of that before starting!).

The one additional thing you can do to make the experience even more instructive is to have someone do a little research on the varietal that you’re tasting to briefly report on its history, geographic location, etc. Two of the very best resource books for this purpose are the Oxford Companion to Wine edited by Jancis Robinson and Karen MacNeil’s The Wine Bible. Both are available thru bookstores and of course on-line.They are wonderful references to have at home if you think you want to know more about wine.

About the Author

Many refer to Chef John Ash as the “Father of Wine Country Cuisine”. In 1980 he opened his namesake restaurant, John Ash & Company, in Santa Rosa, CA. It was the first restaurant in Northern California wine country to focus on local, seasonal ingredients in the quest to create dishes that complemented the wines being made in the region.

Crisp air and crackling fireplaces turn food cravings toward warm, cozy dishes that can chase away the chill of fall’s arrival. Comfort foods like soups and stews are staples of the season, but they can be tricky to pair with wine.

Learn which wines go best with your favorite family recipes and find a few new favorites with this handy guide to warm dishes that will carry you through the cool months.

‘Tis the season for soup, and the best versions take full advantage of fresh cool-weather crops. Sonoma-Cutrer consulting chef John Ash has several soup recipes perfectly suited for the season, starting with a creamy Pumpkin Soup with Wild Mushrooms. Showcasing a pair of favorite fall flavors, this soup scores extra points when served in small, individual hollowed-out pumpkins.

Ash’s easy to prepare Winter Squash Soup is another great option if you’re short on time, and you can experiment with different types of squash. Got a fall garden bursting with radicchio? Try this simple Radicchio Soup with Smoked Goat Cheese, which tastes complex thanks to the inspired flavor contrast of smoky cheese and bitter radicchio.

All three soups are ideal pairings for a crisp glass of Russian River Ranches Chardonnay, with its elegant fruit accents and bright acidity.

If you prefer to sip red when temperatures get crisp, Sonoma-Cutrer’s Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is a fine accompaniment to many traditional fall favorites. Chili and cornbread is about as comforting as it gets, perhaps rivaled only by a warm bowl of hearty gumbo.

Both are perfect companions for the pinot, thanks to the wine’s juicy dark fruit notes and silky tannins that complement the rich, complex flavors and meatiness found in both dishes.

Finally, it’s unfathomable to talk about warming cold weather comfort foods without mentioning an all-time favorite: chicken pot pie. This savory, soul-warming dish is elevated to the next level when accompanied by a rich and creamy white like The Cutrer Chardonnay.

Whatever dishes you warm up to this season, there’s a perfect bottle of Sonoma-Cutrer wine just waiting to be uncorked.

Every family has their beloved holiday traditions, and the Sonoma-Cutrer family is no exception. Here in the heart of the Russian River Valley, the holidays are a time to gather and give thanks.

The season officially kicks off with a long-standing Thanksgiving tradition as everyone gathers to eat delicious food and celebrate the year’s biggest accomplishments. This year, the Sonoma-Cutrer family toasted the launch of Founder’s Reserve Legacy, the second offering in the limited-release Winemaker’s Series.

It’s a time for camaraderie and conversation, as colleagues sip Sonoma-Cutrer wine and share favorite recipes. In addition to the chef-prepared turkey and dressing, employees bring a family favorite side dish to share — and leaving a bit overstuffed is to be expected.

Come December, it’s time to trim the holiday tree. During the annual event, employees gather to share holiday cheer and help put the finishing touches on the tree — often with handcrafted ornaments that feature a Sonoma-Cutrer theme. It’s also the season for another tradition at the winery: the annual holiday open house.

The fireplace glows as traditionally dressed carolers fill the air with holiday songs and guests enjoy sips of soup, savory bites and sweets paired with Sonoma-Cutrer wines. While this year’s open house was on hiatus due to renovations at the winery, new traditions will join longstanding ones next December as the brand new tasting room will be open for special holiday tastings.

The season of giving thanks is also a time to give back at Sonoma-Cutrer. Community outreach efforts include food and clothing drives for local shelters, and many employees volunteer to serve holiday dinners at shelters throughout the season. Sonoma-Cutrer sponsors a tree in Windsor’s Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove to benefit the Windsor Educational Foundation.

With the holiday season well underway, the Sonoma-Cutrer family has had a chance to reflect on the many blessings of the previous year. The approaching New Year offers a chance to toast the good times, reflect on the challenges and look forward to another amazing year with a winery family that shares a passion and dedication to crafting the finest wine.

Pinot Noir is a difficult grape to get right. Thin-skinned and temperamental, it’s among the most delicate varieties, and the conditions must be near perfect to produce exceptional fruit. So why would a winery known for its award-winning Chardonnay even bother with such an intractable addition?

It’s a fair question, and one that’s been asked on more than a few occasions. The original inspiration had a lot to do with the vision of former Director of Winemaking, Terry Adams. It took some convincing to get the team on board. Rumor has it, a covert late-night planting session was required to produce evidence that Pinot Noir is, in fact, an ideal fit for Sonoma-Cutrer’s terroir.

Producing Pinot is a natural evolution for a winery grounded in Burgundian winemaking traditions. The two major grape varietals grown in Burgundy, France happen to be Chardonnay and – you guessed it – Pinot Noir.

It doesn’t hurt that the Russian River Valley boasts near ideal conditions for growing Pinot Noir grapes. Recently, Wine Enthusiast© magazine even named the winery’s home turf one of the top six areas for growing exceptional Pinot Noir.

The goal of Sonoma-Cutrer has always been to craft wines that reflect their unique terroir, and Pinot Noir is no exception. The grapes come from The Cutrer, Vine Hill, Owsley and Les Pierres vineyards. The unique terroir of each vineyard, from Owsley’s dramatic temperature fluctuations to Vine Hill’s 400-foot elevation change, is directly responsible for producing fruit with concentrated, complex flavors.

The meticulous craft and attention to detail required to produce extraordinary Pinot is a natural fit for Sonoma-Cutrer – even when it means processing by hand and building an entirely separate production facility known as “The Pinot Barn.”

It’s been more than a decade since the winery’s first foray into Pinot Noir production, and today four distinctive varieties are among Sonoma-Cutrer’s offerings. Among a well-decorated group, the popular Russian River Valley Pinot Noir has been awarded a gold medal from some of the most prestigious wine competitions every year since 2009.

Twelve years into the “experiment,” Pinot Noir is no longer the new kid on the block, and has proven to be a worthy companion to Sonoma-Cutrer’s fine Chardonnays.

This year’s annual harvest kicked off the last week of August, and the buzz of anticipation will linger until the last grape has been removed from its vine, around six to eight weeks later.

During the harvest, nothing is more important than picking the grapes at their peak, but getting the timing exactly right involves a lot more than looking at a calendar. “Calling the pick” is a painstaking process that involves a little bit of chemistry and a whole lot of skill.

It all starts with veraison, the ripening of the grapes that causes them to change color. The process began in July, and the fruit was closely monitored well into August, when Chardonnay grapes turned from green to a rich straw color, and Pinot Noir transformed from green to red and finally to a deep burgundy.

When the colors are right, it’s time to start testing.

Throughout harvest, a sampling crew goes out to collect a selection of 100 grapes from several different blocks among Sonoma-Cutrer’s six vineyards. Back in the lab, the grapes are tested for sweetness (Brix), acidity (Titratable Acid) and pH. The right balance signifies ripeness – but the numbers are only half the story.

Once ripe, the fruit needs sufficient hang time to mature and develop the precise taste profile the winemakers are looking for. The ultimate goal is to harvest the grapes when they achieve the perfect balance of sweetness, flavor and texture.

Daily “sugar meetings” are held every afternoon to determine which blocks should be picked the following day. The ongoing process moves from block to block throughout harvest until each vine hits its peak.

Ensuring that the grapes reach their full flavor potential is a team effort, from the vineyard crew that meticulously maintains the vines throughout the growing season to the winemakers, who must rely on their finely tuned craft to “call the pick.”

Yet, there’s really no question who plays the ultimate role in determining the quality of the fruit: Mother Nature. And this year, Sonoma-Cutrer has been blessed once again.

Expectations are high for this year’s harvest, as moderate weather has provided the fruit sufficient hang time to develop its full flavor potential. With harvest well under way, the yield looks good and the quality appears to be exceptional.