As of: March 13, 2024, 4:34 p.m
By: David Holzner
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An app shows when it's best to drink wine.
But is there really something to it?
And what circumstances actually affect the enjoyment of wine?
The good wine from the supermarket that tasted great a few days ago now tastes completely different.
You wonder: Is it the same wine?
Does the bottle have a fault?
No, it's the same brand, the same variety, but the wine simply doesn't taste the same as usual. Berlin sommelier Raphael Reichardt explains to
Spiegel.de
that it's a fact that wines don't always present themselves the same way.
But why is that?
An app thinks it has the explanation.
When the wine tastes best: App gives recommendations
A glass of wine tastes best when you are relaxed.
(Symbolic image) © Panthermedia/IMAGO
The full range of functions of the app from the manufacturer
Floris Books
is already described in the name: “When Wine Tastes Best”.
The application doesn't seem to do much more than say when the wine tastes best.
The app simply answers the question of whether a day is suitable for enjoying wine with “Yes” or “No”.
The best time of day for wine is also marked in red on a clock graphic.
But what theory is behind the recommendations?
The manufacturer tries to answer this question under “How It All Works”.
The developers base their information on Maria Thun's biodynamic calendar.
This calendar is actually intended for growing vegetables.
According to the app information, lunar and solar cycles as well as the star constellations would help decide when to sow, plant and harvest.
The days are divided into four different categories.
According to the app, the cultivation of grapes for wine production is also influenced by these factors.
“Fruit” and “flowering” days would therefore be best suited for drinking wine.
“Root” and “leaf” days, on the other hand, are less common.
To many, this may sound like esotericism and mumbo-jumbo.
But is there actually something to it?
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Enjoying wine according to the lunar calendar: study finds no evidence
In the study “Expectation or Sensorial Reality?
An Empirical Investigation of the Biodynamic Calendar for Wine Drinkers” from 2017 attempted to get to the bottom of the matter.
New Zealand wine experts blindly tasted twelve Pinot noir wines on days that were designated as favorable (fruit day) and unfavorable (root day) for wine tasting in the biodynamic calendar for wine drinkers.
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The results of the study provided no evidence to support the belief that the taste of a wine is related to the lunar cycle.
The wines were therefore judged very differently.
However, the day on which they were tasted would have had no influence on these judgments.
According to the scientists, the reason for the belief that biodynamic calendars influence wine consumption may be due to expectation effects rather than actual differences in the wines.
Wine drinkers who expect a wine to be more expressive and aromatic on “fruit days” might actually perceive it as such.
When does wine taste best?
Circumstances and temperature are crucial
This theory cannot be proven, at least scientifically.
At the end of the “How It All Works” information page, the app maker backtracks a bit and states that many different factors can influence how good a wine tastes.
As sommelier Reichardt explains
to Spiegel.de
, a relaxed environment would increase the enjoyment of drinking wine.
On the other hand, stress is not beneficial when drinking wine.
This may also answer the question of why wine always tastes better on vacation.
The right temperature is also crucial to ensure optimal wine enjoyment:
As
Blick.ch
describes, young white wines should have a temperature between 9 and 11 degrees.
Spicy wines such as Gewürztraminer or Sauvignon Blanc can also tolerate temperatures between 10 and 12 degrees.
Sparkling wines such as Prosecco or Champagne are served much cooler than white and rosé.
Temperatures between 6 and 8 degrees are ideal.
One of the biggest wine myths is that red wine is served at room temperature.
Blick.ch
is more precise: it should be 16 to 18 degrees for most red wines.
Heavy, powerful reds can be drunk well even at 19 degrees.
Basically, the younger the wine, the less heat it can tolerate.