Useful Tips - get the most from every bottle There are no strict rules in wine, but here are a few guidelines when storing and serving wine which will help you get the most from each bottle.· 

   When your Galafrey Wine delivery arrives ... give the bottles a few days rest before you open them - the wine needs to recover from its journey (a condition called 'bottle shock' in the trade) and will taste better for it.·  

 

 

 Storage - Keep bottles out of harsh Australian sunlight, away from vibration and at a relatively constant temperature. Bottles sealed with a cork need to be kept horizontal in a rack to stop the cork drying out and shrinking or cracking.·  

 Corkscrews - Even though screwcaps dominate, you'll still need a good corkscrew for older bottles, imports and many icon wines. It should have an open spiral, with a clear line of sight up the middle, to gain good grip of your cork. Without that, it will simply tear out the middle and cause you great frustration!·  

 Sediment - Crystals or sediment in a wine are generally signs of natural goodness and wholeness. Found on the bottom of a cork, they cause no problem. If, however, they're floating in the wine, you need to stand the bottle upright for a few hours, preferably a day, to let the bits settle at the bottom. After that, ideally, decant.·  

 Decanting - a) young wine Pour a 'closed' wine, like a young claret, into a jug or decanter 30 to 60 minutes before drinking to aerate it, so the flavours open out. Ageing 'speeded up', if you like. b) old wine Again a decanter or jug will do, but this time you simply want to separate the wine from its sediment. Pour carefully and steadily, preferably over a strong light, until you reach the crystals.·  

 Corked wine - Very occasionally you will come across a 'corked' wine. You can usually spot this simply by smelling the wine in a glass. Musty, mouldy aromas (like damp cardboard) are the telltale signs of a fault caused by a tainted cork.·  

 Glasses - Galafrey Wines recommend clear, uncut glasses as fine as you dare and as large as you decently can ... but fill maximum a quarter full, so you can gently swirl the wine. Tulip-shaped is best for funnelling the aromas up to your nose. Tall flutes are ideal for Champagne as they keep in more of the bubbles for longer.·

    Temperature - Serving wine at roughly the right temperature makes a huge difference to your enjoyment. Big, oaky whites are best gently chilled; serve crisp dry whites colder. Big or tannic reds (the tooth-furring stuff) need to be at room temperature; light, fresh reds can be cooler and, sometimes, lightly chilled.·  

 Tasting order - Rules are there to be broken in wine, but your bottles will tend to taste better if you drink them in the following order: white before red, dry before sweet, light before heavy and young before old. Above all, enjoy!