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* Light red wines, such as Beaujolais, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc benefit from being served slightly cooler than
full-bodied reds.
** Chardonnay is often served too cold. You should chill it at a warmer temperature inside of your wine cooler.
Or leave it to warm slightly when you remove it from your wine cooler.
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Temperature stability is the most important factor when it comes to storing wine.
o
Exposure to light, vibrations or fluctuations in temperature and humidity can all cause wine to spoil. When
properly stored, wines not only maintain their quality but many will actually improve in aroma, flavour
and complexity as they mature.
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Wines kept at a higher temperature will age faster. Wine that is exposed to temperatures that are greater
than 21°C will suffer from poorer flavour and aroma.
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If wine is kept at too low a temperature, this can result in the development of harmful deposits. A
humidity of 70% is ideal for keeping corks from shrinking.
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After a bottle of wine has been opened, the wine comes into contact with air. So it is best to store the
remainder of the bottle upright, to minimize the surface area of the wine that is coming into contact with
the air.
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Once opened, wine will remain in a drinkable condition for two days for delicate whites or three days for
rich reds, as long as the bottle as been resealed. You should make sure that the seal is firm by checking
the stopper.
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Special stoppers that keep wine sparkling and Champagne bubbling for one or two days after opening, can
be bought at most good wine shops.
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When stored correctly, white wines can keep well for up to two years. Full bodied reds will age well for
ten years and dessert wines will age well for up to twenty years.
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When you buy a bottle of wine, you should transfer it to a suitable storage location immediately (if you
are not going to store it in your wine cooler).
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Cheaper bottles of wine will not age as well as more expensive ones.
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To make the most of the bouquet and taste of your wine, never fill more than half a glass at a time. It will
also help if the shape of your wine glass is appropriate for your wine. The size and shape of your wine
glass’s bowl will determine the intensity and complexity of th
e bouquet. The stem should be long enough
to allow you to avoid hand contact with the bowl of the glass and should be tulip-shaped or tapered at the
top.
Wine storage problems
Corking-
a tiny percentage of bottled wine (about 1%) will suffer from this. The cork reacts with the wine and
gives it a musty, unpleasant taste. It is the most common wine storage problem and is caused by harmless
bacteria growing on the cork. As unfortunate as this is, there is nothing to do but to discard all of the wine in the
affected bottle. This is not to be confused with small fragments of cork floating in the wine itself, which will not
impair the flavour.
Oxidisation-
when wine has been opened and left for longer than a day; it tends to lose its aroma and colour,
giving an overall flat taste. The only way to avoid this, it to either drink the wine on the same day it was opened
or to use a vacuum device specially designed for removing oxygen from opened wine bottles. If you use such a
device, the wine should still be consumed shortly afterwards.
