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INTRODUCTION TO WINE
Wine storage
A well-known characteristic of wine is that it can be
stored over time: in the correct location, white
wines can be stored for about two years after their
vintage although ideally they should be drunk within
one year. While light red wines can be stored forup
to two years, full-bodied reds will age well for 10
years and dessert wines even up to twenty years.
When you buy a bottle of wine, transfer it to your
wine cellar or other suitable place immediately.
There are three main factors that weigh on the
process from grape cultivation to harvesting and
fermentation: light, humidity and ambient
temperature. To ensure the taste of the wine
matures to its peak and the aroma remains
unaltered, it must be stored with the right
interaction of these three factors.
Storage location
Not everyone has a basement suitable for use as a
cellar. Technology has only recently come up with an
effectivesubstituteforanaturalcellar.Yournewwine
cellarisaspecialappliancedesignedspecificallytohold
and store wines properly. Indeed, it should only be
used for your favourite bottles of wine, not for fruit,
vegetablesandtins. Inthis way,youcan storeand age
any kind of wine properly even if you don't have a
natural wine cellar.
How to store wine
When storing your wine bottles, one golden rule
not to be overlooked is that they must be laid
horizontallyoratan angletoensurethe winekeeps
the cork wet. Some say that this causes the classic
smell of “cork” in wine. In actual fact, keeping the
corkincontactwiththewineenhances itselasticity
thereby guaranteeing its continued effectiveness.
Anotherimportantfactorinstoringwineishowthe
bottles are arranged: the bottles should be
arranged at liberty by place of origin, type of wine,
area of production, winery or vintage, using the
catalogue labels provided if desired. Arranging the
bottles so that they can be easily identified and
selected prevents any accidental jolts which, like
vibrations, can unsettle sediments and alter the
visual appearance of the wine for some time.
Hence,trytomoveyourbottlesaslittleaspossible,
allowingthe winetorest. Furthermore,don'tpush
thebottlessofarbackthattheyrestagainsttherear
wall of the cellar as this would not only interfere
with the automatic defrosting function, the water
droplets collected during defrosting could also ruin
the bottle labels.
Bottle racks must be made from wood as this
effectively absorbs any vibrations and keeps bottles
away from the wall transmitting heat or cold.
In addition, the bottles of wine must be stored away
fromsubstancesorplaceswithstrongodourswhichcan
be easily absorbed by the wine. To this end, your new
appliance has an active carbon filter to absorb any
impurities in the air.
Temperature and humidity
Temperature is a critical and vital factor during the
entirelifecycle ofwine; itdetermineshow wellthe
wine develops when matured in the bottle. To
ensure optimal storage, the temperature must be
kept constant from 8 to 12 °C. Rapid, wide
temperature swings must be avoided: when the
temperature is too high, the liquids dilate
accelerating the ageing process whereas
excessively low temperatures (below 4 - 5 °C) can
cause the precipitation of tartrates; such an
imperfectionwouldimpairthepleasantappearance
of the wine. In the extreme event that the
temperature drops below 0 °C, the wine would
freeze causing the cork to explode.
Humidityisalsocrucialinoptimalwine storage:dry
environments cause the cork to shrink whereas
overly damp locations cause mould and harmful
microorganisms to form. Humidity must be kept
between 50% - 70%.
The cork
This is an essential part of the bottle: the quality of the
cork, selected by the wine-maker, is very important in
the ageing process of the wine itself. The conditions of
thecork,includingcorks inbottled wine,depend solely
on the process and storage standards used by the
manufacturer or bottler.
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