Wine tasting is a passion and should be enjoyed by you and all your friends. Why not organise a couple of friends to make a night of sampling different wines from your collection? Doing a blind test always shows who really knows their stuff about wine, watch your guests try and work out a
With less than 75 days to Christmas, any organised, forward planning wine aficionado looking to splash out on a more eccentric present must think big! The ultimate Christmas present for any aspiring wine connoisseur has to be a fully stocked wine cellar. With this in mind, Spiral Cellars, the leading company for at-home wine storage has joined forces with the world’s youngest ever wine Master Sommelier, Vincent Gasnier, to create just this.
Read More about the Fully Stocked Wine Cellar!
No matter what you tipple is; white, red, pink or sparkling, storing your wine correctly is essential. Simply putting your favourite bottle above the fridge and forgetting about it for a year could drastically alter the taste, then, when you come to enjoy it at that special occasion, it might not be as favourable as you hoped.
Despite wines being a perishable commodity, properly caring for and storing your wine can actually improve its’ aroma, flavour, texture and complexity over time.
Step 1: How long are you storing your wine for?
The first decision to make is how long you are planning to store your wine for. Generally short term storage means 3 to 6 months and should be your cheaper, less cherished wines, where as long term can mean decades and should be reserved for your quality, precious wines.
Step 2: Correct storage conditions
Whether it’s short or long term storage the same rules apply, firstly and most crucially the bottles should be laid horizontally instead of upright, this ensures the cork remains moist, to stop it drying out.
It is essential to keep the wines in a vibration free environment so they can not move about, therefore on top of electrical appliances or a place subject to external forces (i.e. from a subway) should be avoided.
Wine can be greatly affected by its surrounding temperature; the ideal temperature is roughly 55 degrees Fahrenheit (12°C). Bottles should be kept out of drafts and any temperature change should be very gradual.
Additionally light can negatively impact on a wine, which is why some wine bottles are made of coloured glass. Wine must be kept out of direct sun light, since too much light can react with proteins in wine, forming a haze and bad aromas to pollute its’ flavour.
For long term storage, the correct atmospheric conditions are required. Humidity has to be very high, approximately 70% or more, in order to stop the cork drying out and to reduce the chance of wine evaporating. Also when storing long term, consider the wines surroundings, ensure there are no other foods or liquids that could be absorbed into the wine itself. Substances with strong aromas for example fuel or vinegar must be kept elsewhere!
Step 3: Enjoy…
When the time comes to pop the cork and savour all your hard work, drink responsibly but do try to finish bottles within a few days of opening, since as soon as the wine is exposed to air it starts mixing with oxygen. This is known as oxidation, which also alters the essence of the wine.
Correct wine storage is fundamental for any serious wine lover, enthusiast or even hobbyist. The most effective storage is in a wine cellar, since numerous bottles can be kept conveniently out of sight yet in the perfect conditions. Spiral Cellars offer custom built, cost effective underground cellars, which can be fitted quickly and discreetly. Professionally installed and only taking up a tiny amount of floor space, Spiral Cellars cellar’s can hold up to 1600 bottles!
Cheers!
Article originally printed in ICON magazine- October 2006
In Part 1, 2 and 3 we explored different styles of red, white and summer wines. Now that you have probably found a few favourites you’ll want to have some in stock for entertaining and impromptu dinner parties or gatherings with family & friends.
It may seem a simple process buying wine, but keeping wine is a different matter. We can easily forget that wine is a living product, that is either enhanced when aged and stored correctly or ruined when stored in bad conditions.
Throughout future issues we will be discovering many fine wines, and I would like to ensure that you do not purchase these wines, then waste your money due to storing your wine in poor conditions, hence ruining it.
I see it as my responsibility to ensure that you get good advice in every aspect of enjoying fine wine.
SPIRAL CELLARS DIGS DEEPER WITH FIRST
By next year, it is predicted that over a quarter of all wine consumed worldwide will be in the U.S*, where wine sales have reached a record $26 billion. Not only are Americans drinking more wine, they are buying better quality wine to collect, and spending more money on it, leading to an increased demand for personal wine storage.
With this in mind, Spiral Cellars, the leading company in underground wine storage, previously only available to consumers in the U.K. and Europe, has made the decision to expand into the U.S market, with the first cellar being installed in the Seattle area.
This blog is produced in association with Spiral Cellars- the home wine cellar company. Here you will find news, comment and advice on the exciting world of fine wines, wine storage, wine tasting events, building (and filling!) your very own home cellar.