The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-03-31
WINES AT THE DINNER.
OFTEN ONLY ONE IS SERVED;
 FIVE 1HE LIMIT

Decanting of Still Wines AdVised--The
 Proper Temperature and the Glasses
 -Order of Serving Wines-ChOIce of
 Two or Three Cordials With the | Coffee.
 The turns of fashions wheel are quite as apparent in the manner of serving and selecting wines as they are any where else, Tastes change gastrono- mically as well as artistically. At most dinners only one or two wines are served and at many formal ones it is not uncommon to serve but three, sherry, claret and champagne. Claret is very often served at the same time as the champagne, as many people drink nothing but this light wine. 1 When only single wine is served it should be the best obtainable, such as Chateau la Rose if a claret is used and Chateau Yquem if a sauterne. In that case also it is a good plan to have cor- dials with the coffee.
 All still wines should be decanted be- fore using, say good authorities. While it is a simple enough thing to do it is | too often carelessly done, with results unsatisfactory and mortifying to a hos | tess
 | Before decanting, the bottle of wine should stand upright for not less than twenty-four hours, the cork having first been loosened. Then about an hour be- | fore using the cork should be drawn en- l tirely out, so carefully that no distur- i bance of the precipitation is possible. The bottle should be held against a light or a candle, and the instant the l sediment begins to stir the pouring 1 from the bottle to decanter should cease This careful handling of the wine will insure its being clear and bright when served
 It is a fad with some people to pour old wines directly from the bottle, so that guests will appreciate what they -are drinking. but this is not advisable; wines old in bottle will always form a great deal of deposit and this when shaken up will iH5ure not only the ap- pearanoe but the taste of the wine as | well. If hosts wine will not stand 1 decanting he would better not serve it at all
 | Neither claret nor Burgundy contains | sufficient alcohol to keep it's flavor much longer than twenty-four hours af ter decanting They both become sour and what is left in the decanter should | be thrown away or put into the vinegar | jug. Fortified wines such as sherry port, Madeira and Tokay will keep in | definitely, but it is far better to decant only about the quantity to be used of | the lighter wines, those whose percen- tage of alcohol is not great enough to insure the retention of their flavor after exposure to the air. Claret and Burgundy should be served at temperature from 65 to 70 | degrees, which temperature is obtained | by keeping the bottle in a room a little warmer for six or eight hours before serving. Some people make it a rule to set the wine on the sideboard for a 1 few hours before dinner is served, this | is not a good plan wine will not stand sudden changes of temperature. All wines keep better when stored in an even temperature. Champagnes and white wines must be kept in a cooler place than others; if too warm they are apt to ferment Madeira, s1erry, &c., are better the warmer they are kept; their flavor is enriched thereby.
 Much depends upon the treatment a wine receives before serving. Often a really good wine does not taste so well as one of inferior quality, simply be- cause of improper treatment before it i is served.
 Port should be served not colder than 60 degrees, unless served with crushed ice. which in summer is a delicious drink and a rare treat. Sherry is best at a temperature of 40 degrees, ob- tained by cooling it in the ice box for an hour before using. If kept too cold botfg port and sherry will cloud.
 Madeira and Tokay should be served at about a temperature of 65 degrees at least. Brut champagne must be thor ouehlv chilled, but not at too low a temperature. or it will he acid and harsh to the taste. Frozen, it is un- drinkable; whereas the sweet brands or champagne are more delicious the near CT to freezing they are.
 All champagne requires chilling be- fore the cork is drawn, no matter for what purpose it is to be used. It makes all the difference in the world in its taste, even in punch, Sauternes and all white wines should be cooled to be- tween 40 degrees and 45 degrees, but | not chilled.
 If but one wine is considered suffi- cient for a dinner and it is to be a champagne, let it be dry, as the sweet brands are not considered with such fa- vor when served alone The wine is poured just after the fish is served and continues through the entire dinner, in cluding desserts.
 The selection of a champagne glass is largely a matter of taste, though the most attractive shape, in no matter what style of glass decoration, is the saucer shape with the hollow stem.
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