Cool treatment
Thousands of hygienically minded visitors are gathering in Macau this week for the 2008 World Toilet Summit & Expo. Years ago, I went to a party where the host chilled his wine in a toilet bowl filled with ice. While the chilly toilet technique works, an ice bucket would have been more attractive.
Refrigerators cool wine gently while a bucket filled with ice chills a bottle fast, especially when water is added to provide better surface contact with the bottle. Adding a spoonful of salt is an old trick to lower the freezing point of the liquid and speed up the cooling. It takes about 20 minutes in an ice bucket to bring a white wine to the right temperature. Once the wine is cool, it is best to remove the bottle from the bucket.
Temperature affects the perception of the quality of a wine because it can exaggerate or diminish characteristics such as aroma, alcohol and tannins. Anyone who has spent time beside a rubbish lorry knows that heat amplifies aroma - whether sweet-smelling or vile. Serving a white wine at too warm a temperature can amplify its flaws; serving too cold can mute its aromas. Most refrigerators maintain a temperature of four degrees Celsius, a temperature far too cold for white wines, which are best served at eight to 12 degrees. Wines with high acidity, such as champagne, chablis and sauvignon blanc, show well when served on the cooler side; serve cheaper white wines at an even lower temperature to mask their simplicity.
The old rule that red wine should be served at room temperature is off-target in warm Hong Kong. Unless it's emerging from cool cellar conditions (14-18 degrees), red wine should be chilled briefly before serving - this is especially true of the lighter styles, such as Beaujolais, Valpolicella and pinot noir. Don't leave red wine in an ice bucket for too long. Serving a red wine too cold will mute the fruit character and exaggerate its tannins and bitterness. If uncertain about the serving temperature, it is better to err on the side of coolness as wine will soon warm in the glass, releasing its range of aromas as it does so. When red wine is too warm, the taste of the alcohol is emphasised. Never heat wine with an appliance as it can easily become stewed and soupy. Cupping one's hand around the bowl of the glass is the safest way to warm wine.
There are many types and styles of ice bucket, ranging from those made of bamboo to glass, crystal, nickel and silver. A good selection can be found at Heather & March (Prince's Building, Central, tel: 2530 0686), Town House (Prince's Building, tel: 2845 0633) and the various Exclusivities, Baccarat and Alessi outlets. If space is tight, consider a bucket that can be suspended from the table edge or one that has a stand.
Debra Meiburg is a Master of Wine