October 27th, 2011 
guest blogger There is a lot more that goes into drinking a Pinot Noir besides puling the cork, swigging the wine, and bringing it into your mouth.
When you learn to drink an Oregon Pinot Noir the right way you discover all of its flavors, experience more strength, perceive imperfections very easily, and drink it slower.
We could say there are two phases in the process of drinking a Pinot Noir wine:
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The first is the preparation phase, which happens before drinking the wine and has to do with the tools, ambiance, and environmental factors that will make the wine taste superior.
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The second is drinking the wine.
There are 4 steps to follow in the first phase to ensure the Pinot Noir reveals itself in all its glory:
1. Make sure the temperature is perfect
The right temperature is vital when drinking top Pinot Noir. The perfect temperature is cool: around 65deg F, but not excessively cold. Red wine needs to be a bit cold to release its flavors without tasting alcoholic; but when too cold it loses the flavors and taste.
If you are in a very cold room, warm up the glass with your hands before drinking the wine. If it is very warm, put the wine in the refrigerator for a few minutes.
2. Decant it
The majority of red wines need some contact with air to reveal their magnificence, because this softens the tannins and intensifies their fruit manifestation.
Pinot Noir must be decanted into a container capable of holding the whole content of the bottle – but don’t decant it all if you’re not planning to drink it all. If the vessel is wide, the wine will be ready to drink faster, as more of the wine’s surface area is in contact with oxygen.
Decanting may not make a big difference when drinking a young wine that is light and fresh, and if the wine is very old it may speed up the oxidation process that turns the wine into vinegar; however, the majority of young and middle-aged red wines that have some body require decanting.
3. Use the right glass
There is no question about it; the glass you use to drink your wine makes a big difference in its flavor.
Want to waste your time and money? Drink Pinot Noir from a small glass that does not allow strong swirling.
Without exception, when drinking Pinot Noir, use a glass with a large bowl, so that you can swirl that baby around briskly.
4. De-groom yourself
No, we don’t mean you must get filthy to drink a Pinot Noir from Oregon; it is just that toothpaste, cologne, and perfume don’t agree with it!
If you’re serious about wine tasting and drinking Pinot Noir, make sure the last time you brushed your teeth was over two hours before the experience, allow yourself to smell the wine, not the latest Dolce & Gabanna scent, and plan your wine tasting session way before or after the onion festival hits the town.
Wendy Jones is a freelance writer who enjoys living so close to excellent Washington wines.
