Care and Serving

From meticulous farming to thoughtful and low-interventionalist winemaking, our greatest efforts have all lead up to the moment you enjoy the fruits of our labor. Now that our wines rest in your cellar, here are some helpful notes from our winemaker on how best to care for and enjoy our wines.

 

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Receiving

When your wines arrive, if you can manage to wait long enough, we recommend allowing them to rest for at least one week before savoring.

 

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Storing

While aging your Alexana wines, it is best to keep them in a cool and dark place, away from sunlight and with consistent temperature. For extended aging, place your bottles on their side to prevent the cork from drying, and with the labels facing up to ensure a consistent position for any sediment to settle.

 

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Decanting

While we don’t explicitly recommend decanting our wines, we advise the following if you do prefer to decant. For wines less than five years old, the objective is to soften the tannins and help the wine open up. Decant vigorously, exposing to as much oxygen as possible.

1. Carefully remove the cork.
2. Tilt the bottle upright, pouring quickly and directly to the bottom of the decanter, causing the wine to splash against the sides.
3. Swirl the wine, coating as much of the inside surface of the decanter as possible.
4. Let breathe for two hours.

For wines over five years old, the objective is to separate the wine from any sediment that has settled out and allow the wine to open and breathe independently. Decant gently with as little disturbance to any sediment in the bottle as possible.

1. Before opening, place the bottle upright and let the wine settle for at least an hour.
2. Revana wines are sealed with an elongated cork to improve aging ability. Keep this in mind while carefully removing the cork.
3. Pouring slowly, transfer the wine into your decanter, leaving some wine in the bottle to hold any sediment.
4. Older wines need only a few moments to breathe before enjoying.

 

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Serving

Large Burgundy-style glasses offer the perfect setting for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. To ensure that you may enjoy our wines at their full potential, we use Riedel Oregon Pinot Noir wine glasses in the Alexana tasting room. We feel these beautifully crafted glasses intensify aromatics and accentuate flavors, providing the best tasting experience possible.