poured into the glass and as it rests there, and
its aroma often evolves noticeably between
the first sip and the last. To discover this
dynamic quality and follow its course is one
of the pleasures of drinking wine.
The Alcohol Content of Wines
In the United States, the approximate
alcohol content of a wine is listed on its
label. There is a total of 3% leeway
allowed, so a wine labeled as containing
12% alcohol by volume may contain
anywhere from 10.5% to 13.5%.
Keeping Leftovers The key to preserving the
quality of leftover wine is to minimize
chemical change. Lowering the wine’s
temperature slows all chemical activity, and
simple refrigeration works well for white
wines, which usually keep well simply by
being recorked and refrigerated. However,
chilling causes dissolved substances in more
complex red wines to precipitate into solid