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vent it settling in the neck of the bottle and coming into
the decanter when decanted. Stout young wines of good
quality obtain a maturity and generous flavor by being
binned in places of moderate warmth, provided, of
course, that they are not kept there too long, but Cham
pagnes, Rhine Wines and Moselles should be kept in a
cool place.
DECANTING.
Before filling the decanters they should be, of
course, thoroughly clean inside and out, and the month
of the wine bottle very carefully wiped to remove all
the exudation which will be found adheiing to it; this
should ensure the wine being served in perfect condi
tion, for even the slightest cloudiness destroys that
delicacy of flavor which is its chief charm. To extract
the cork without shaking the wine, the bottle must be
taken carefully by the neck with a steady hand and the
corkscrew inserted in the exact centre of the cork with
the bottle lying in a horizontal position.
Use no strainer, but place a candle in such a posi
tion that its light will shine through the wine as it
passes between the bottle and the decanter. As soon
as any sediment appears, the operation must be stopped
at once so that none of it will get into the decanter.
No wine should be served at table that is defective
or "corky"(a term to indicate wine that has been tainted
by the sap of the cork wood), which is easily detected
by the smell.
All wines throw a deposit, rich wines more than
others. The crust of Port wine of only one or two
years' formation is naturally not so firm as that which
has been kept for a longer period. Dry wines take
longer to mature than rich.