Uncorked, the truth behind all those myths about wine

PUTTING your claret in the fridge instead of the sauvignon blanc is likely to raise eyebrows among wine snobs.

But if you want to get the best out of your bottle, this may be exactly what you should do, according to a study.

Experts found that some of the commonplace wine rituals we perform – such as drinking white wine with fish or letting a red breathe – are actually myths.

Researchers from the American Chemical Society and University of California, Davis worked to separate the facts from fiction when it comes to wine.

They found that, despite it being common practise to chill white wine until it is served, this is often the wrong approach as overcooling limits the wine’s flavours. Meanwhile serving all reds at room temperature may overdo the flavours.

However, Mandy Oser, a sommelier at the Ardesia Wine Bar in New York, suggested a simple solution to the conundrum.

‘One good rule of thumb is to pop your red wine in the fridge 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve it, and at the same time, take your white wine out of the fridge and let it warm up a bit,’ she said.