To preserve their freshness and fruitiness. Think crisp Pinot Grigio and Champagne. For sparklers, chilling keeps bubbles fi ne rather than frothy. This is also a good range for white dessert wines; sweetness is accentuated at warmer temperatures, so chilling them preserves their balance without quashing their vibrant.
Full-bodied white wines & light, fruity reds
Serve at 100 C to 15.50 C (500 F to 600 F) To pick up more of the complexity and
aromatics of a rich Chardonnay or to make a fruity Beaujolais more refreshing.
Full-bodied red wines and Ports
Serve at 15.50 C to 18.30 C (600 F to 650 F)
Cooler than most room temperatures and warmer than ideal cellaring tempera- turesùto make the tannins in powerful
Cabernet or Syrah feel more supple and de-emphasize bitter components.
investment are this year's conditions. American wine expert Robert Parker is the
leading global authority on appraising wine quality. His review of the investment grade wines of Bordeaux are much anticipated by the market. He grades the quality of wine out of 100 points, in which investment quality wines generally command a score of more than 90 points. The truly extraordinary rate between 96 – 100 points. Wines are scored each year at en primeur
stage (following the previous Autumn harvest); for example the 2011 en primeur tastings are expected imminently. These wines will remain in cask for up to three years and are then tasted and scored again as they are bottled. The 2009 vintage was scored at in March. Parker declared 2009 as the best vintage in modern times and awarded a record 19 Chateaux the perfect 100. These scores have massively affected the investment market as investors have clambered for the best wines. The Parker Effect on the investment
market is immense. Within 24 hours of Parker releasing his scores, the market value of the 2009 Bordeaux moved in excess of $100 million. Considered in terms of the individual Chateau, this is remarkable. The Cos d’Estournel for example, jumped by approximately 35 per cent in three months, from £2,595 at the end of 2011 to £3,500 following Parker’s scores. The Smith Haut Lafi tte, meanwhile, nearly doubled in value overnight, increasing from a price of £700 to a trading price of £1,300 once the scores were released. Indications are that 2012 will also be a very
good year. Wine investment has only seen three corrections in the market; 1998, 2008 and last year in 2011. Following the fi rst two corrections, what followed was two to three years of strong growth. There is no better time than the present to enter the market. Though the Eurozone remains locked in
crisis, the BRIC countries continue to show impressive growth. For example, despite a minor
drop in China's growth, there are still plenty of the new affl uent class unafraid to show it off. A huge amount of fi ne wine has been consumed in China in recent years. The effect is twofold: there is greater demand which drives up prices, and the wine is
consumed, which makes it rarer and more valuable. Tax changes expected in India later this year may also fuel a boom in fi ne wine importation, adding to the global appetite for an already fi nite supply. Fine wine is increasingly a valid investment
option for the man on the street and larger investor. With all of the conditions mentioned above in place, the time has never been better for investors to move into the wine market for the fi rst time. b www.vin-x.co.uk