When serving Burgundy, which of the following is a good idea:
A. Serve it in smallish-sized glasses
B. Open the bottle well before dinner to let the wine breathe
C. Decant the wine, especially if it is over ten years in age
D. Serve it from generous glasses with ample bowls
D.
Burgundies are, by their nature, aromatic wines. The only way to experience the full impact of these wines is to drink them from generous glasses with ample bowls. Serving a great Burgundy, white or red, in too small a glass should be considered a crime. Know, too, that Burgundies are among the wines in the world that change a lot after being poured. After, say twenty minutes, the wine may be transformed substantially, offering a whole new world of flavors and aromas. A fine Burgundy’s propensity to evolve in the glass and the fact that Pinot Noir is prone to oxidation means that, in general, you should not open the bottle many hours before dinner or, worse, decant it. Pinot Noir is the complete opposite of Cabernet Sauvignon in this regard. When Pinot Noir, especially a Pinot that is ten years old or more, is given too much oxygen, its flavors can seem to fade and fall apart. So pour red Burgundy from the bottle (not a decanter) and start drinking it slowly soon after it’s opened.