When presented with a glass of wine, many drinkers’ first inclination is to swirl it to high heaven — whether they know why or not. Swirling exposes wine to more oxygen, softening its profile and allowing more subtle aromas to emerge. While the practice is beneficial when sampling still reds, white, and rosés, what happens when a little fizz joins the mix? Does swirling still have the same positive impact, or does it harm the carbonation in our beloved bubbly? We chatted with Devon Fleming, wine director at NYC’s East Village restaurant Nudibranch, for more information.
As it turns out, the answer is not a simple yes or no. Instead, as Fleming argues, it comes down to what you want to get out of your drinking experience, despite what wine-drinking textbooks might say.
“The reason we swirl is to aerate the wine so you can be more exposed to the level of aromas coming from the glass, but in the case of sparkling wine, that’s supposed to come from the bubbles,” she explains. “We’re taught that swirling sparkling wine flattens the bubbles, so there’s no real reason to swirl it heavily.” But every wine is different, she explains, and sparkling wines can occasionally need a little agitation to allow the nuances to shine.
“When you’re tasting wines, you’re doing it for the sake of the tasting experience,” she says. “I might swirl sparkling wine [at tastings] because I just don’t want to miss anything in the glass.”
She also points out that sparkling wine is a broad category, and swirling a pét-nat or a co-fermented bubbly wine is not the same thing as swishing Champagne. Not only is every wine different, but every person is, too; if you feel like you’re not getting much on the nose of your sparkler, feel free to give it a whirl.
“If you’re looking to get everything out of the wine aroma-wise, swirl,” she says. “If you’re seeking the most enjoyable bubbles, then maybe don’t. The choice is yours.”
What’s most important, in Fleming’s opinion, is making sure every drinker feels comfortable without thinking they’ve made a faux pas. The world of wine can be a minefield, and shaming budding oenophiles for swishing their sparkling should be off limits.
“At the end of the day, we want people to drink more wine and be comfortable tasting,” she says. “I always want to lower that barrier to entry because it can be such an intimidating thing. Swirl it, don’t swirl it — as long as you take note of the bubbles, it’s really about doing what you like.”
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