So does that costly – or cheap – red wine you bought is not as good as you thought? Or you come home from a hard day’s work to relish some red wine, only to find you have a stinker. This has or will happen to every drinker, but luckily, there are some easy ways to fix it. We’re going to show you how to make red wine taste better.
Cool it off
Even cheap red wine can be made better by cooling it down. A general rule you can remember is to chill white wines and cool red ones. This seems opposite to the general notion of serving red wines at room temperature which works fine, but if you sense anything off about your bottle, putting it in the fridge is the best bet. Cheap, acidic, sweet, or ‘unbalanced’ wines become pathetic when served warm. Cooling focuses the flavors and that bad alcoholic after-burn on the tongue becomes less noticeable.
Bubble up red wine to taste better
Experts say that letting your wine breathe is the most important thing to improve its taste.
Instead of pouring the entire contents of a bottle out in a decanter, you can use a wine aerator instead. Not only does it oxygenate your reds instantly to release its true flavors, but it also makes pouring easy.
Another quick method of aerating it is by adding soda to your red wine. If you have ever tasted flat soda, you would notice how incredibly sweet it is. Why it does not feel that way usually is because carbonation makes it taste less sweet. You can do the same with red wine to mute some dull flavors and make it refreshing.
Blend it instead
This may sound counterintuitive but it is a time-tested method that works. If you have an older, better wine, simply mixing it up with your newer red can make a better combo drink. It would be wise, however, to try this first in smaller quantities because the success of this experiment depends a lot on the types, age, and brands of both the wines.
Besides this, you can make some drinks that give you a break from the regular, out of the box red wine and make it tastier. You would only need to know the basics like flavors, aromas and get your hands on some household items to relish these.
The cola bomb
Adding Cola to red wine may sound weird, but it is a quick version of Sangria. Mix equal parts of both the beverages and add some lemon to counter the acidic zest. Not only is this easy to prepare but also a quick remedy to those nasty hangovers.
Many wine enthusiasts in Europe have this as their go-to drink.
The sweet paradise
Do you love chocolate? Do you love red wine? If you answered yes to both these questions, this concoction should be a no-brainer to you. Heat some red-wine, milk, and dark-chocolate chunks together to make this spellbinding elixir. You can also add some marshmallows to it to make it more appealing.
The spice twist
You would need more ingredients for this one but it would be worth the effort. Heat some brandy, a box of dry red wine, some spices (clove, cinnamon, star anise, and cardamom), and throw the desired amount of your favorite sweetener into the mix. Simmer this in a pan for an hour or two, strain the solids out, and enjoy the drink as a holiday-staple.
Using some of these methods would guarantee more taste in your red wine, whether it is fresh off the shelf boxed wine you picked up from a retail store or an old expensive bottle.
