The secret to New Year's Eve dinner? Knowing when to open the wine

It depends on the type of wine, but in general wine needs brief contact with air to best express aromas and flavors.

Opening the bottle early enough allows you to:

• soften any aggressive notes
• improve the perception of aromas
• achieve a more balanced taste

A rule that applies to everyone, but respecting the correct timing of opening avoids common mistakes and allows you to enjoy wine to its full potential, without waste and without sacrificing quality.

White wines should be opened just before serving, but not at the last moment.

General directions:

• 15-30 minutes before consumption
• served chilled, avoiding excessively low temperatures

This short oxygenation time allows the wine to better express aromas, especially in more structured whites. Presenting a ready-made bottle, perhaps in a bucket, also contributes to a neat and professional aesthetic impact.

For red wine, the opening time varies according to the structure and age of the bottle.

General guidelines:

• 30-60 minutes earlier for young reds
• 1-2 hours earlier for important or aged reds

Opening earlier promotes oxygenation and makes the sip more harmonious. In addition, planning the timing avoids unnecessary openings, which also has a real advantage from an economic point of view.

Rosé wine deserves special attention because it combines characteristics of white and red. Opening it too late can make it closed in aromas, while anticipating the opening too much compromises its freshness.

General directions:

• 20-30 minutes before serving.

This gives the rosé time to express the fruity and floral notes without losing liveliness. It should be served chilled, but not chilled, to enhance its structure and balance.

Decanting is not reserved only for formal occasions. It is especially recommended for certain types of wine that benefit most from air contact. In particular, it is indicated for:

• structured red wines, with significant body and tannins
• aged bottles, which need to open gradually
• wines with sediment, typical of long or natural aging.

Decanting the wine into a carafe allows any deposits to separate and encourages proper oxygenation. This process makes the aromas more expressive and the taste more balanced, with softer and more harmonious tannins.

For easy orientation:

• White wines: 15-30 minutes before
• Rosé wines: 20-30 minutes before
• Young reds: 30-60 minutes before
• Structured reds: 1-2 hours before, preferably by pitcher

Opening wine at the correct time is a simple gesture that affects quality, presentation and bottle management. With a minimum of organization, New Year's Eve dinner turns out more polished, enjoyable and waste-free, allowing the wine to express itself at its best and accompany the evening with balance and elegance.