TO CELLAR OR NOT TO CELLAR
Wine storage can be tricky depending on the area in which you live. Cooler climates make for better storage without the use of refrigeration devices, home heating can affect the quality and durability of your wine. If you do not have a cellar in the home that maintains consistently cooler temperatures year round, you may want to consider investing in a small cooling cellar. Once the province of only the most serious collector, wine refrigerators now are common small household appliances, even for the novice collector.
The one thing to note about refrigeration is that the temperature needs to remain consistent and it is best if the wine is placed into the cooled cabinet on its side and remains there until you are ready to serve it. Taking wine in and out of a refrigerated cabinet can affect the taste of the wine. Wine storage is essential for wines that you want to save in order to enhance the flavor with age. Cabinets can be as large as 1000 bottle units and as small as 4 units. If you are just starting out with expensive wine that you know you will be saving for years, perhaps consider buying a case holding less that 10 bottles of these so called “trophy wines” and storing them in a place set away from view.
WINE CABINETS
A slightly larger cabinet can hold your more common house wines, perhaps a 20-30 bottle unit. Many of these are now made with an accessory that can store your wine glasses. The types of engraving and intricate design of many of these glasses have made them art pieces in themselves, especially personalized wine glasses. If you do not have glass in your cupboards that show off some of these glasses, consider an add-on accessory to your wine storage unit that will be able to hold glasses as well as display them.
You may be asking yourself do I need separate units for my different types of wine? Ideally you will have storage for red and for whites separately. Many units offer duel zones. For those that do not and if you only want one appliance, pick a temperature that will be workable for both wines together. Most people store (and serve, but that’s a topic for another time) red wines too warm and white wines too cool. Unless you are just cooling a wine for immediate service, try to avoid storing wines in your regular refrigerator. If, however, your home or apartment consistently warms to 80 degrees during the day, it is better to err on the side of too much refrigeration, if one is forced to choose.
Wines that are too warm can break down in the bottle, become damaged and end up tasting closer to your salad dressing than to specially raised grapes. Keep in mind the following:
- Consistency
- Temperature
- Time in Storage
and your will not be disappointed when the appointed time finally does come to break out that fancy bottle for a special occasion. Remember to have your custom wine glasses nearby to beautifully display your properly stored wine as you enjoy it. Cheers.