You don't need a scale to determine whether a wine is a heavyweight or a lighter specimen. Experienced wine drinkers, like the weight guesser at the carnival, can make a reasonable estimate just by looking at the wine once it is poured into the glass.

The trick is just to swirl the wine in the glass and tilt it at an angle. You'll notice that heavier wines (those with greater viscosity) will leave streams of liquid on the sides of the glass. These streams, often referred to as "legs" or "tears", are usually an indicator of a full-bodied, structured wine, of its heaviness (but not necessarily its quality). Lighter wines, whether they are white or red, will not have legs. Lighter wines have an alcohol content of around 10%, compared to 12.5% and higher for weightier wines.

The best way (besides reading the alcohol content on the label) of determining the relative weight of a wine of course, is to taste it. Is the flavor intense? Does it leave a slight burning sensation as it goes down your throat? If so, you can bet that it is a heavier, more alcoholic wine. Most wines contain about 80% water by volume, so it is no surprise that lighter wines will seem more watery than their heavier counterparts.

The temperature at which wines are served can make a great difference in your enjoyment. Typically, we serve whites chilled and reds at room temperature. In general, the warmer any drink (or food, for that matter) is, the more complex aromas and flavors it will display. One should be careful however. For example, a red wine that is served too warm (over 70 f), will begin the irreversible process of turning to vinegar. In order to enjoy any wine at its best, regardless of color, the optimum temperature is between 60˚ and 65˚ f.

I can hear all the lovers of crisp Pinot Grigio and ice-cold Chardonnay grumbling as I write this, so I will explain.

The crucial factor in determining whether or not the essential characteristics of a wine can survive chilling is weight, not color. The more structured a wine is, the warmer it needs to be in order to fully appreciate its volatile characteristics, the aromatic components that vaporize, creating its flavor profile. The lighter a wine is, the more easily these components are released, even at cooler temperatures, so lighter wines, regardless of color are better candidates for chilling. Since most white wines are of lighter weight than reds, the conventional method of chilling them will usually give a satisfactory result.

As with any rule however, there are exceptions.

Structured, full-bodied whites such as Rhône blends, Burgundies, Viognier, and Chardonnay do not benefit from excessive chilling. The only good reason for chilling a wine lower than 50˚f is to mask imperfections; the colder the wine, the less you taste. On the other hand, reds like Bardolino, Pinot Noir, and Beaujolais are often more pleasant when served slightly chilled, between 55˚ and 60˚f .In a fuller-bodied red, heat attenuates our sensitivity to tannin and acidity. Conversely, cold inhibits our ability to detect sweetness in a dessert wine if it is served at too low a temperature. Many wine professionals advocate the serving of wine, whether white or red at 50˚ to 55˚f (cellar temperature). As soon as the wine is poured, its temperature begins to rise by 1˚f every three minutes until it achieves the ambient temperature, and it is always interesting to observe the changes in aroma and flavor that take place during this process.