The proper serving of your wines can be almost as much fun as drinking them. Each bottle of wine you buy is an adventure waiting to be poured into a glass. It's a great idea to show everyone the bottle, tell them a little about the wine or the winery and explain to them why you chose this particular vintage.

When pouring your wine, you should take care that the bottleneck does not clumsily touch the glass. Once you get a good pour going, be sure to fill the glass no more than halfway. You need plenty of space for aerating the wine to take in the deep aromas before plunging in for the taste. When you've reached the halfway point, turn the bottle to the left or right in a tiny twist motion to prevent drips from getting on your tablecloth or your clothing.

It is a myth that opening a bottle of wine by simply popping the cork and letting it breathe will enhance the flavor. In reality, a bottle of wine needs more interaction with oxygen to open up and display its full character. Proper breathing may enhance the flavor of wine by allowing contact with the oxygen in the air. This process is not necessary for all wines and should be reserved for wines that are highly tannic, restrained, or very young. Be careful of excessive exposure. It can lead to oxidation and oxidation makes a wine taste flat.

Different varietals should be served at different temperatures. Temperature affects the flavor of the wine and you want your wine to shine - so check out the guide below and if you can't remember, think at or below room temperature depending on the wine, with white wines generally being cooler than red wines. Sparkling wines are the exception as they should be thoroughly chilled.

Champagne, sparkling wines (45 °F)
Sweet white wines (45 - 50 °F)
White and rosé wines (50 - 55 °F)
Young light red wines (55 - 60 °F)  
Full bodied red wines (60 - 65 °F)