Tag Archives: Wine
Properly Storing Your Wine
Wine requires cool, dark, humid, and still surroundings. While, storing it is not the most complicated process, it is a very sensitive one.
There are a few key points to keep in mind that will help ensure your liquor has the very best chance for long-term survival and optimal aging. The best storage temperature is right around 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Any kind of excessive heat will potentially ruin a bottle of wine. You also want to shoot for consistent temperatures, since dramatic temperature fluctuations will negatively impact a stored bottle.
Humidity is another factor to keep in mind when storing liquor. A higher humidity level helps to keep the corks from shrinking and allowing oxygen in.
Allowing oxygen into the bottle may result in oxidation of the wine. The ideal humidity level is between 65-75 percent.
Most colored glass bottles have UV filters incorporated into the glass, but this does not necessarily offer full UV protection. If the drink is in direct light consistently, it will result in premature aging, which will affect the flavor significantly.
Typically, whites wines are the most sensitive to light degradation, but reds will also lose if they are subjected to excessive light. Even though the top of the refrigerator is one of the most popular places to store liquor at home, it is one of the worst places for it.
The top of the refrigerator may be so popular because of its ease of access, the fact that the kids cannot reach it, or the nice little racks that fit perfectly up there. Whatever the reason is, you would be wise to find a different place for your bottles.
The heat from the appliance and direct light from kitchen lights will degrade the quality. You also run the risk of bottles falling and breaking every time you open and close the refrigerator door.
In addition, the refrigerator tends to vibrate when the motor starts running, which is several times every day. The constant vibration of the refrigerator or other major appliances in close proximity just agitates the liquor and can keep the sediment from settling in a red wine.
By intentionally storing it on its side, you will help keep the cork in constant contact with the liquid. This will keep the cork moist, which should keep the cork from shrinking and allowing oxygen to seep into the bottle.
When oxygen comes into contact with the drink, the liquid starts to oxidize, and the aromas, flavors, and color all begin to spoil. While most people do not have onsite rock wall, caves, or underground cellar accommodations, there are plenty of options to mimic these ideal conditions.
Since, light and heat destroy the drink in very little time; make sure to protect it from both by finding a cool, dark spot to safeguard your liquor. Basements are ideal storage facilities since they typically meet the cool and dark requirements.
If a basement is not an option, then just keep the bottles in a cool closet. You can also consider purchasing a wine refrigerator.
These refrigerated cabinets come in a variety of sizes and price points, offering ideal storage conditions to as few as 4 bottles to over 600. Currently there are three ways to close a bottle of liquor, including natural cork, synthetic cork, and screw caps.
Natural cork closures have been used the longest; however, they allow the drink to develop a musty smell and taste. This comes from a substance used to sanitize the natural cork prior to bottling.
The result is a flat, moldy flavor devoid of fruit-filled taste and aroma. Synthetic corks are derived from plastic and appeared to be a viable alternative to traditional corks.
However, their inability to keep oxidation at bay for any real length of time significantly decreases the shelf life and short-changes the maturing process of select wines. Screw caps provide the best seal for bottles, and eliminate the oxidation problem.
While, screw caps do diminish the drama and romance of bottle opening, it does ensure a taint-free wine. It also offers consistent aging, maintained flavor, and freshness with optimum quality control.
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How to Become a Wine Connoisseur
Of course, you will need to be a lover of wine if you want to become a wine connoisseur. Many people think that you have to be someone that makes wine or has a large collection of this grape-based beverage in your cellar in order to become a connoisseur. Luckily, that is simply not true. This guideline will provide you with a few tips for becoming a connoisseur and starting a new hobby of appreciating fine wines. If you would like to purchase this beverage or any accessories, check out websites like Wine Enthusiast and Wine.com.
The Color of Wine
Being a connoisseur is much more than simply tasting wines. You also need to take the time to study the color of the wine that you are drinking so you can take mental notes of it. Of course, to do this, you will need to pour your beverage into a clean, clear glass. You will notice that some wines have a deep red color, while others have a fruity purple or light color. Swirl the wine around in your glass against both natural and artificial light to see how the light reflects off of it. As you gain experience with studying the color, you will also be able to note a difference in texture between various wines.
The Aroma of Wine
Unfortunately, if you want to become a connoisseur, you are not ready to take a sip of your wine yet. Once you have taken some time to study the color of your beverage, you should take notice of its aroma. Generally speaking, every wine that you drink will have a different aroma to it. In no time at all, you will be able to figure out the type that is in your glass without even looking at the bottle. Many people do not realize that the aroma of wine actually enhances its taste. If a wine smell is pleasing in regards to its aroma, it is very likely that you will enjoy drinking that wine.
Wine Drinking
Now, for the the best part of becoming a wine connoisseur: drinking. The key to being a connoisseur is to not gulp your drink. Take a small sip and allow the wine to sit on your tongue for a few moments before you swallow it. You will be able to determine the sweetness of the beverage that you are drinking by doing that. Once you have allowed the wine to sit on your tongue, gently swirl it around your mouth. You have taste buds located throughout your mouth, so by swirling your wine like mouthwash, you will be able to see how the wine interacts with different aspects of your mouth. Being a connoisseur is not like being a taster, which means you can swallow and enjoy the beverage after you have taken some time to enjoy its full bodied flavor.
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Qualities Of A Good Wine Cellar
A wine cellar is a storage area for wine in barrels or bottles and is normally built underground. It is a necessity in a quality wine cellar to provide a favorable environment to ensure that the wines stored there remain in a fresh state even after many years cellaring. This means that the temperature and humidity of the cellar have to be regulated at levels that will allow the wines to age slowly and develop complexity.
If a cellar is built above the ground, it could better be described as a wine room and if it contains less than 500 bottles and is above ground, it may be identified as a wine closet. The main purpose of building a wine cellar is to protect the wine from environmental factors that will compromise the quality of the wine. Factors such as light, high temperature or low humidity will all affect the wine in an adverse way. Wine is a living thing that must be protected from fluctuating temperatures, heat and lights and also shakes. Thanks to precise safe-keeping, wine not just sustains its freshness but even betters the grade of its bouquet, sophistication and also essence.
Accordingly, a decent wine storage ought not to solely conserve the life of the actual beverage but additionally refine it. The perfect setting inside of a wine storage room will need to change from 13 to eighteen degrees C additionally it is required to be freed from all manner of shaking. In case the temperature conditions shift from season to season, it must change by something like ten degrees C. For years and years, the people from France have preserved their wine bottles in subterranean caverns at these kinds of climate which is a way people today calculate the condition of warmth needed for storing wine. To guarantee that the concluding result includes attributes of any perfectly aged wine, temperatures ought not to be raised above eighteen degrees centigrade mainly because the wine beverage could age too quickly. Vintages that age way too rapidly will most likely taste identical to vinegar rather than keep the polished and pleasing substance of the high-quality wine.
Active or passive refer to the air conditioning located in the wine cellar. A wine cellar possessing an efficient cooling down device necessitates insulating material as well as a steam buffer fitted. A particular wine cooling model will be positioned in the wall structure making sure that the temperatures and dampness will be managed at the suitable ranges. Quite a few above ground cellars need a cooling unit to help maintain a consistent temperature. Geographic regions that happen to be normally cool will often be appropriate for a passively cooled wine cellar. Almost all subterranean cellars are passively chilled and often a well-constructed and well-insulated underground room storage might be passively cooled down. A passive wine cellar will involve no electricity to be successful. They are for that reason less expensive to construct and operate although at some point unreliable in severe weather.
The Basics Of Wine Tasting
Many people believe that wine tasting is a challenging subject to understand; in reality wine tasting is quite simple. Like the majority of things in life it simply requires practice before you can sip a wine and then determine its qualities. As you go to your first wine tasting there is no need to learn every one of the wine phrases or the attributes which make an excellent wine. To take pleasure from your first wine tasting, you just need a sense of smell, a sense of taste and a good eye; everything you currently have! Don’t be unnerved by the lingo that may be tossed about by more well-informed wine enthusiasts. After some practice you, too, can make this happen at a wine tasting.
When tasting wine, the first point that you need to do is to evaluate the shade of the wine you are about to try. To properly evaluate the coloring of the wine you need to tip the goblet away from you even while keeping it against a white-colored backdrop. Analyze the color from the glass’s edge to the middle of the wine. The age of the wine is frequently discerned from the shade of the wine. In order to plainly examine the color of the wine tilt the glass with a whitened piece of paper or a white tablecloth at the rear of the glass. It is best to make use of a clear glass during a wine tasting.
You’ve probably noticed individuals swirling their glasses at a wine tasting. This approach is in fact a vital action to tasting wine. You must simply sniff the wine more often than once, the first whiff you get needs to be a brief one and the following one should certainly be a deeper inhale. Just after swirling a glass of wine next take a quick inhale, following this preliminary sniff then you’re able to put your nose into the glass and breathe in deeply to obtain a greater concept of the wine. While you inhale the fragrance of the wine, search for distinct notes for example fruitiness, floral accents, and overtones of oak.
The first sip of the wine you take will not reveal all its qualities; you may taste whether a wine is sweet or dry, light or heavy, or significantly complex. On your second sip you might start to taste flavors such as a specific fruit, spice, or additional notes that were not evident at the first sip. Once you have swallowed the wine you should be able to discover if there is a lingering flavor on the palate and describe what the consistency of the wine felt like. Wine tasting is a unique hobby that will help you to better value wine and make good selections to pair with almost any food.
Get Built in Wine Coolers
If you might be serious about wines or merely progressing to get serious about wines, you know how important temperature is to the well-being of your chosen bottles. You spend a great deal of money and time on your wines that they could be ruined if you do not store them right . They will also age well if properly stored?
You might ruin your wine collection in the event you lack the mandatory storage space. If you intend to age your wines and keep them for years, the very least that can be done is buy a built in wine cooler to keep your collection in tip-top shape for years to come. What is a built in wine cooler? Simply speaking, it is a cupboard space made for wines. This is crucial for those people who collect wines. It could be used for storage and also being a display case to exhibit your collection. Put the case on the dining room and maybe even your living room.
They ensure that the lighting inside the built in wine cooler is suited to wines since the regular light from refrigerators may cause harm to your wines. It is an effective investment and a very fascinating one at that. Your wines are going to be kept in great shape and it might also be a great accessory to your house because they come in great designs. They won’t clash with your décor to be able to display your wines and your wine cooler with pride. You have to remember that different varieties of wines are stored in several temperatures. You will find built in wine coolers that are fitted with different temperature settings. Your rose wines, red wines and white wines will be kept at the proper temperature and you will have no worries at all.