Whether in daily life or in film and television dramas, we can often see people holding wine glasses, shaking lightly while smelling incense. Some people think that this is pretentious elegance, while others think that shaking the glass is good for wine. So what is the use of shaking cups? Do you know how to shake a cup gracefully?
Why do I encourage you to shake your glass while drinking wine?
(1) Emit aroma and drive away odors
Half of the pleasure that wine brings to us comes from the aroma, and without shaking the glass, the aroma we smell is very limited, so it is necessary to help the aroma emanate by shaking the cup properly.
In addition, there may be some unpleasant flavors in wines that have been sealed for many years, and by shaking the glass, these odors can be quickly driven away.
(2) Exposure to oxygen to help sober up alcohol
Wines that do not shake the glass may be slightly tired to drink, the aroma may be very closed, and shaking the glass can rejuvenate the wine.
This is because during the process of shaking the cup, the contact surface between the wine and the air will increase and be slightly oxidized. This process is like waking up the wine, while making the wine more rounded and supple, while enhancing the overall flavor of the wine. Some wines do not need to be decanted with a decanter, and a glass awakening + slight shaking of the glass can rejuvenate the wine.
(3) Better observation of wine
After shaking the glass, you can see the gradient of the wine color more clearly, observe the viscosity and hanging degree of the wine, and then guess the thickness and texture of the wine.
In general, wines with a dense or sweet texture generally spin slower when shaking the glass and will adhere to the walls of the cup. Therefore, when you stop shaking the glass, the wine will form a "wine foot" or "wine tear" (commonly known as a hanging cup) on the wall of the glass, which is related to the alcohol, sugar and glycerin content of the wine). Usually, wines with more hanging glasses are either high-alcohol or more sweet.
(4) Shake off unwanted bubbles
Some still wines also contain a small amount of bubbles, and if you don't like it, you can also solve it by shaking the glass.
However, it should be noted that drinking sparkling wine such as champagne is generally not recommended to shake the cup, otherwise it is easy to dissipate the bubbles and reduce the flavor.
How to shake a cup gracefully?
In fact, shaking the glass is only a basic action during wine tasting, but it is also about pressing. Shaking a cup seems simple, but it is actually a technical task, so how to shake the cup gracefully?
(1) Desktop type: the simplest and safest way to shake cups
This is the easiest way to shake a glass, you just need to put the wine glass on the table, and then use the thumb and index finger of the right hand to pinch the cup stem or hold the cup holder, and gently draw a circle on the table. This can be implemented during meals, or anywhere there is a table, which is very convenient and not easy to spill, so it is safer.
(2) Handheld: A way to shake a cup with an elegant posture
When you're standing and chatting with others, or when you don't have any table or anything like that in front of you, you have to use the handheld cup shaker method. This may be a little difficult for beginners, but a little practice is not enough.
When shaking the cup, hold the handle of the cup, exert force in one direction with your wrist, and then slowly rotate the glass around a point. When the wine swirls beautifully in the glass, the shaking of the glass is successful.
Note: When drinking wine, you don't need to repeat the shaking glass all the time, because the shaking cup is to make the wine taste better, if you keep shaking the cup pretentiously, not only will the aroma disappear, but also the manners will be lost! It is recommended to control the time to shake the glass for about 5 seconds, unless the wine needs a lot of contact with oxygen.
How do novices practice shaking cups?
(1) Substitute water for wine. As a novice, it is inevitable that the wine will be spilled when shaking the glass. In order not to waste wine and not to stain the surrounding things, the best way is to use water instead of wine for cup shaking exercises.
(2) Do not pour too much water. You can't pour too much wine into a shaking glass, and you can't pour too much water when practicing nature. If you don't believe me, you can try pouring a large cup full of water and shaking the cup, and you will find that not only is it very laborious to shake, but it is also easy to spill. Therefore, when practicing shaking the cup, the amount of water poured should also be similar to the amount of wine poured normally.
(3) The action should be light. Shaking a cup is a technical task, but it is also a moment to highlight the elegant posture of the individual, too rude not only destroys the personal image, but also makes it easy to spill the liquor.
(4) Repeat. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. You may wish to repeat the practice repeatedly according to the method mentioned above, and surely one day you can shake the cup easily and gracefully.
(5) Practice in daily drinking. As the saying goes, practice produces true knowledge. Only when you practice it every day when drinking alcohol can you really learn to shake the cup.
There are no hard rules about how to shake the cup, it's a process of practice making perfect, and everyone can have their own unique way as long as they achieve the desired effect.
When you are addicted to shaking, you will find that when you drink coffee, you will unconsciously shake the cup, sometimes even drink water, and your hand will always subconsciously shake and drink.