Wine Enthusiast

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Bartender Basics: Time to Spring Clean Your Bar Cart Posted: 14 May 2021 04:30 AM PDT Animation by Eric DeFreitas Along with closets and the kitchen drawer full of spare batteries and orphaned keys, the bar cart is one of the areas of your home that collects the most junk. Unlike wine, which is understood to have a short shelf life once popped, many believe that opened liquors and other bar ingredients can kept indefinitely. Unfortunately, that's not the case. While it may be hard to let go of unenjoyed liquor, in the interest of fresh starts, it's time to spring clean your bar cart. Keep Unopened liquor Still-sealed, distilled spirits that aren't fortified with sugar, like plain vodka, gin, whiskey, Scotch, Tequila and so on, have a nearly indefinite shelf life. If you've been saving an unopened bottle of single malt since 1986 to toast the next time the Mets win the World Series, don't worry, it should keep for another 35 years. Unopened vermouth Unopened vermouth can last for a few years if stored properly. These fortified wines should still be treated like regular wine—kept out of direct sunlight and at cellar temperatures. Still, with a tight seal, if you've got unused bottles on your bar cart, they should be safe to hold on to for future use. Toss Opened vermouth Since it's used generally in smaller proportions than most other cocktail ingredients, a half-empty bottle of vermouth is a common sight in most households. Have one stashed in the door of your fridge? The good news is, you've been storing it in the right place—opened vermouth should always be kept cold. The bad news? Even refrigerated temperatures can't make vermouth last forever. Most opened vermouths will keep in good condition for a full month if refrigerated. In its second and third month, you can still use the bottle to make a decent martini or Boulevardier. Had a bottle open for longer than three months? Time to toss it. Pro-tip #1: Unless you're stocking a full bar or adhere to a strict three-martini lunch schedule, opt for half-bottles when purchasing vermouths. You're more likely to use them up before they turn, and will have more opportunity to explore different brands and discover new favorites. Pro-tip #2: If you're a wine lover with access to a Coravin system at home, you can use it to extend your vermouth's life indefinitely. The company also offers screwcap adapters for bottles without cork closures. Nothing is certain in life but death, taxes and oxidation. Maraschino cherries For even the most dedicated Manhattan lover, it can be hard to use an entire jar of cocktail cherries before they turn bad. While an unopened jar of Maraschino cherries can last for 2–3 years, once you've popped the top cherries should be stored in the refrigerator and used within six months. If they've started to turn brown or become mushy, trash them and start fresh. Pro-tip: Check to see if the lid of your sealed cherry container has started to bulge outward. If it has, the cherries have started to ferment or become contaminated and should be retired. Cocktail olives An opened jar of brined olives is a common sight in refrigerators. Most jars of cocktail olives have expiration dates, but these can vary based on olive variety, oil content, amount of salt in the brine and whether they've remained sealed or been opened. It's a good rule of thumb to toss opened olives every 3–4 months and start fresh, which means it's probably time to trash your current jar. What's the point of making a cocktail with quality spirits just to risk ruining it with a rancid garnish? It depends Opened liquor Nothing is certain in life but death, taxes and oxidation. While they don't "go bad" like wine, oxygen still affects spirits. Opened bottles will degrade and lose quality over time. How quickly opened spirits spoil depends on the type of liquor, storage conditions and the complexity of a given spirit. While an incredibly loose estimation, here are rough guidelines of the shelf life of various liquor types. Whiskey, Bourbon, brandy and other brown spirits: An opened bottle will stay good for about 1–2 years before it loses a noticeable amount of the aromatics and flavors. More complex pours with heady aromatics, like Scotch or higher-end Bourbons, may begin to degrade in as little as 6–8 months. Vodka: Unsurprisingly, plain vodka keeps the longest. As a fairly uncomplex spirit, vodka's compounds are mostly stable and even an opened bottle can last for many years without being overly affected by oxygen and time. Gin and Tequila: Gin's use of botanicals and flavoring agents means it'll begin to lose aromatics and degrade much quicker than vodka, despite a similar base. The same goes for Tequila, which can bleed off the unique subtle flavors of its agave base when exposed to oxygen. Finish a bottle of either spirit within one year after opening. Rum: This sugarcane-based spirit is one of the most susceptible to oxidation. Most rums should be consumed within six months of being opened, or you risk a disappointing pour. Pro-tip: The less liquor that remains in a bottle, the quicker it will spoil. This is because the amount of air/oxygen in the bottle has increase in proportion to the remaining liquid. It can help to pour opened spirits into smaller bottles and reseal, if you're hoping to hold on to them longer. Liqueurs, cordials and fortified aperitifs Popular liqueurs like triple sec, Chambord, falernum, St-Germain and others have a vast gray area of shelf-life stability. But, generally speaking, any ingredient with sugar goes bad faster than an ingredient without. The higher proof a liqueur, the longer it'll keep shelf stable. A bottle of absinthe at 45% abv (alcohol by volume) will degrade slower than a bottle of triple sec at 24% abv. But even if it won't "spoil" or make a person sick, opened bottles can still evaporate alcohol and lose aromatics and flavor. Look for sediment in bottles, or a murkiness, as a sign that a liqueur may be past its prime. For a loose, unscientific guide, aim to replace liqueurs under 35% abv every 3–4 months, those from 35–44% every 6 months, and those 45% or above every 12 months. Baileys and other cream liqueurs There are many types of cream liqueurs and different brands each have their own shelf life. It's always best to inspect expiration dates and storage instructions on the bottle. For popular brands of Irish cream-style liqueur like Baileys, Carolans, Ryan's and Kerrygold, be prepared to toss an opened bottle—yes, even the one you've kept in the freezer—after six months. If you've had one hanging around since the holidays, it may be time to let go. After all, you wouldn't drink milk you found in the back of your fridge from last December.

We’ve Waited Long Enough: All Hail the Return of Rosé Season Posted: 14 May 2021 04:00 AM PDT Getty While rosé can and should be enjoyed year round, the newest rosés are now being released to ring in the season worldwide. From California to France to Australia, these 10 wines offer a taste of summer in a glass. Hartford Court 2020 Rosé of Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley); $30, 94 points. Made predominantly from grapes grown at the Fog Dance Vineyard, a vineyard-designate of its own, this memorably delicious wine is light in color and delicately inviting in tangerine, peach and strawberry. Stainless-steel fermented, it remains crisp on the palate with just a touch of orangesicle richness on the finish. Editors' Choice. —Virginie Boone A Tribute to Grace 2020 Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard Rosé of Grenache (Santa Barbara County); $25, 93 points. A very pale shade of pink in the glass, this bottling begins with aromas of rose petal, honeydew and wet slate. The palate is extremely tense and grippy—like licking stones and seashells, as flavors of red apple and rose petal float toward the finish. —Matt Kettmann Halcyon Days 2019 Gris-Noir Rosé (Hawke’s Bay); $32, 93 points. This natural wine, made with no added sulfites, is a blend of skin-fermented Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. The color is somewhere tangerine and pink grapefruit. It’s remarkably clean and stable for being entirely sulfur-free. A heady perfume of orange peel, honey, baking spices, minerals and flowers leads to a slippery-textured palate that crunches with acidity and pulses with raw, vibrant energy. There’s a skinsy bite, like marmalade, on the finish. Wine Dogs Imports LLC. Editors' Choice. —Christina Pickard Domaine des Carteresses 2020 Tavel; $24, 92 points. Rose petals and kirsch liqueur perfume this deeply hued, red-berried blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Clairette, Syrah and Picpoul. Full bodied and deeply concentrated in fresh, sun-kissed red-plum and blackberry flavors, it’s a juicy, fruit-focused dry rosé that finishes on elegant notes of crushed limestone and salt. Delicious in any season, it should maintain at peak well through 2022. Fruit of the Vines, Inc. Editors' Choice. —Anna Lee C. Iijima Saintsbury 2020 Vincent Vin Gris of Pinot Noir (Carneros); $22, 90 points. Fruity and effusive in wild strawberry, red cherry and tart Meyer lemon, this is a light, refreshing and textured wine that is brightly delicious. It finishes in wet stone. —V.B. City Limits 2020 Pink Street Rosé (Columbia Valley); $13, 91 points. Syrah makes up 90% of this wine, with the rest Sangiovese. Quite pale in color, the aromas offer notes of strawberry and cherry. A flavorful palate follows, with a zip of acidity. A portion of proceeds go to fighting cancer. —Sean P. Sullivan Domaine Chantepierre 2020 Tavel; $24, 91 points. This perfumed, deep-pink rosé is a consistently well-made expression of Tavel. Whiffs of caramelized sugar, rose petal and red currant accent rich, concentrated flavors of cherry sorbet and fresh strawberries. Full bodied and fringed by delicate tea tannins, it’s a refreshing but solidly built dry wine that drinks well year round. Fruit of the Vines, Inc. —A.I. Underground Wine Project 2020 And Why Am I Mr Pink Rosé (Columbia Valley); $15, 91 points. There’s just a tinge of color to this wine, so little that some might mistake it for a white wine. The aromas offer pleasing notes of strawberry and rhubarb alongside a whiff of bubblegum. The palate is bone-dry and richly flavorful, with a big blast of puckering acidity tying it all together. Best Buy. —S.S. We Recommend: ZENOLOGY Universal Wine Glasses Château Paradis 2020 Oiseau du Paradis Rosé (Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence); $16, 90 points. This aptly named Bird of Paradise wine is dominated by Syrah, giving both perfume and a light structure. With the acidity and spiciness, the wine is both fruity and textured. Drink now. Bridge Imports. —Roger Voss Middle-Earth 2020 Pinot Meunier Rosé (Nelson); $19, 90 points. Pinot Meunier is rarely seen in New Zealand, especially on its own, but it works brilliantly for rosé. It’s bright and fruity, bouncing with strawberry, watermelon and a stalky, white spice note. There’s oodles of acidity on the palate and ripe, fleshy red berries. It’s a refreshing little number, with tingly fruit right to the finish. Copa Fina Imports CA. —Christina Pickard

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