All
About Wine Cellars
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PURPOSE
Wine
cellars offer the opportunity
to protect alcoholic beverages
from potentially harmful external
influences, providing darkness
and a constant temperature.
Wine is a natural, perishable
food product. Left exposed to
heat, light, vibration or fluctuations
in temperature and humidity,
all types of wine, including
red, white, sparkling, and fortified,
can spoil. When properly stored,
wines not only maintain their
quality but many actually improve
in aroma, flavor, and complexity
as they mature.
CONDITIONS
Wine
can be stored satisfactorily
between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit,
provided any variations are
very gradual. Temperature centered
around 55 degrees Fahrenheit
or 13 degrees Celsius, much
like the cool caves used to
store wine in France, is ideal
for both short-term storage
and long-term aging for all
types of wines. Note that wine
generally matures differently
and more slowly at the lower
temperatures than it does at
the higher temperatures.
ACTIVE
VS. PASSIVE
Residential
wine cellars can be either active
or passively cooled. Actively
cooled wine cellars are highly
insulated and need to be properly
constructed. These types of
wine cellars utilize specific
wine cellar conditioning and
cooling systems to maintain
the desired temperature and
humidity. Many systems only
control the temperature and
not the humidity so it is important
to look for a system that actively
controls both with temperature
and humidification integrated
into the unit. Passively cooled
wine cellars take advantage
of naturally cool and damp areas
(such as basements with uninsulated
outside walls in cool and temperate
climates) when minor seasonal
and diurnal temperature variations
can be tolerated. Passive wine
cellars may be less predictable,
but cost nothing to operate
and aren't affected by power
outages.
DEBATE
ON HUMIDITY
Some
wine experts debate the attention
given to humidity in the storage
of glass wine bottle. For Wine
Spectator, writer Matt Kramer
noted a French study by Victor
Segalen Bordeaux 2 University
that the relative humidity within
a bottle is maintained 100%
regardless of the wine closure
used and if the bottle is stored
upright or on its side.
QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS ABOUT CELLARING WINE
Why
cellar wines?
Simply,
most quality wines improve with
age. Aged wine develops greater
complexity, as the chemical
reactions that occur during
ageing add new aromas and flavours
to the wine. Ideally, buy a
reasonable quantity so that
you can regularly assess the
development of the wine over
several years.
Do
all wines benefit from cellaring?
Depending
on the style of wine, some wines
are best consumed when young
and fresh, while others may
benefit from cellaring. Early
drinking styles are usually
best consumed within 1 to 2
years of production. For example,
sparkling wine is ready to drink
when it is released onto the
market, as it is at this stage
when the winemaker considers
it to be at its best. This also
applies to tawny port. Because
the ageing (maturation) process
has been carried out in oak,
further ageing is not required
once the port has been bottled.
Most
white wines and light-bodied
reds are best consumed when
young (1 to 3 years), as it
is during this time that the
primary fruit characters are
at their most appealing. However,
some wines are not at their
best until they have had some
years in the bottle. These are
generally full-bodied quality
reds, although some of our Rieslings,
full-bodied Chardonnays and
classic Hunter Valley Semillons
may develop wonderfully well
in the bottle. Of course, the
potential for these wines to
mature gracefully lies in the
character of the fruit.
Before
investing in wines for cellaring,
check the back label prior to
purchase. Most table wines will
have an indication of cellaring
potential on the back label.
However, if you are unsure or
have any enquiries, contact
the wine company for further
clarification.
How
long will a wine improve in
the bottle?
It
is difficult to predict when
a wine will be at its best.
Do you enjoy a wine with the
vibrant flavours of youth or
the more mellow, softer complexity
of a fully mature wine? Is your
preference for a red wine with
predominant primary fruit characters,
or a more mature red, which
gives impressions of coffee,
cedar or tobacco and less tannic
astringency? It is very much
a case of individual taste.
It
is important to remember that
smaller bottles will mature
more quickly than standard bottles
or magnums, as the proportion
of air in the ullage space to
the volume of wine is higher.
Where
is the best place to store my
wines?
Wine
is best stored under cool, dark,
airy conditions, free from vibration,
odours anddampness. A cellar
need not be under the house.
The single most important factor
istemperature stability. Wines
stored where the temperature
varies gradually with the seasons
are better off than wines stored
in a room which is heated during
the day and then allowed to
cool to winter temperatures
at night.
The
ideal cellar temperature is
12-15oC with a relative humidity
of 65-75%. It is worthwhile
using a thermometer to monitor
summer temperatures. It may
be a cause for concern if the
cellar temperature goes much
over 18oC, as warm conditions
will accelerate the development
of your wines, possibly reducing
the pleasure to be had from
them.
Store
wine on its side, ideally with
the neck sloping slightly upwards
so that the cork remains wet,
the bubble of air is in the
shoulder and any sediment will
collect at the bottom of the
bottle. This will make the wine
easier to decant. Place the
bottle with the label facing
up or use written neck tags
so you do not disturb a wine
to identify it. Align the bottles
so that the corks are visible
- this will allow easy inspection
for problems such as leakage.
Depending
on the size of your cellar and
your budget, your wines can
be stored in either racks or
boxes. There are various racking
and storage systems available
ranging from metal individual
bottle storage racks through
to custom-built wooden systems.
Cardboard cartons in which wines
are packed provide efficient
insulation and also protect
the wine from light. Another
alternative, albeit an expensive
one, is specially designed styrene
boxes, which provide excellent
insulation and double as wine
racks.
Air
conditioning and refrigeration
may effectively reduce temperatures
but will also reduce humidity
causing cork shrinkage. Buckets
filled with water and regularly
topped up will usually solve
this problem. Alternatively,
several companies now offer
cellaring cabinets of varying
sizes, that are, effectively,
modified refrigerators with
humidity control and these same
companies can also supply humidity
control units for rooms.
It
is important to note that your
wines will mature more quickly
if your cellaring conditions
are not ideal.
TIPS
AND WARNINGS
The longest-lived wines are
kept in subterranean caves that
have fairly high humidity and
a constant temperature of roughly
50 degrees.
A
wine must have the right characteristics
to enable it to improve with
bottle age. The three most important
characteristics, in no particular
order, are tannin, sugar and
acid. Both red and white wines
can have one or more of these
characteristics, but red wines
generally improve more from
aging.
You may have noticed that a
lot of sauvignon blanc bottles
are made of clear glass. This
is because few, if any, sauvignon
blancs are made to be aged.
TYPES
OF WINE THAT AGE WELL
Note: In general, more expensive
wines are designed to become
better with age. Most inexpensive
wines do not benefit from aging.
Types
of Red Wine
-
Cabernet Sauvignon e.g. Bordeaux
in the Medoc Region of France
- Merlot
e.g. St. Emilion and Pomerol
in Bordeaux France
- Pinot
Noir e.g. Grand Cru Burgundies
of France
- Syrah
/ Shiraz e.g. Hermitage and
Cotè Rotiè districts
of the Rhone, France
Types
of White Wine
-
Chardonnay e.g. French Chablis
and White Burgundy
- Riesling
e.g. German Spatlese, Auslese
and Beerenauslese
- Sauvignon
Blanc / Semillion e.g. White
Bordeaux in the Graves Region
of France
Types
of Dessert Wine
-
Hungarian Tokaji / Tokay
- Riesling
e.g. German Trockenbeerenauslese
- Semillon
/ Sauvignon Blanc e.g. Sauternes
the sweet wine region of Bordeaux
France
- Portugese
Vintage Port
- Madeira
Types of Sparkling Wine
-
Prestige Cuvèe Champagne
e.g. Dom Pèrignon,
France
AGING
SUGGESTIONS FOR COMMON TYPES OF
WINE
- Beaujolais
- 0 to 3 years
- Beaujolais
Nouveau - drink as soon as
possible
- Bordeaux,
Red - 5 to 20 years
- Bordeaux,
White - 4 to 10 years
- Cabernet
Sauvignon - 5 to 15 years
- Champagne,
non-Vintage - 0 to 2 years
- Champagne,
Vintage - 5 to 10 years
- Chianti
- 0 to 7 years
- Chardonnay
- 0 to 5 years
- Merlot
- 2 to 8 years
- Gewurztraminer
- 0 to 4 years
-
Pinot Noir - 0 to 5 years
- Port,
non-vintage, tawny, etc. -
0 to 5 years
- Port,
Vintage - 10-20+ years
- Rioja
- 4 to 10 years
-
Riesling - 3 to 20 years
-
Sangiovese and Barolo - 5
to 10 years
-
Sauternes and other sweet
whites - 5 to 15 years
-
Sauvignon Blanc - 0 to 2 years
-
Shiraz - 5 to 12 years
- Vouvray
- 0 to 5 years
- Zinfandel,
Red - 5 to 10 years
- Zinfandel,
White - 0 to 1 years
TOP
BOTTLES FOR THE CELLAR
1
- 1999 Taurino Notarpanaro Rosso
del Salento ($17) This
wildly fruity Italian wine,
made mostly from Puglia's muscular
Negroamaro grape, becomes refined
as it ages. DRINK NOW, OR CELLAR
for up to eight years.
2
- 2003 Foppiano Vineyards Bacigalupi
Vineyard Petite Sirah
($18) Sonoma Valley Petite Sirah
specialist Foppiano Vineyards
produces one of the great bargains
in ageable reds. Its spicy 2003
Bacigalupi Vineyard is loaded
with blueberry fruit. DRINK
NOW, OR CELLAR for up to 10
years.
3
- 2002 Château des Tours
Vacqueyras ($33) This
violet-scented, silky Grenache-based
wine, made by Emmanuel Reynaud
of legendary Château Rayas,
transcends the difficult 2002
Rhône harvest. DRINK NOW,
OR CELLAR for up to 12 years.
4
- 2003 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch
Spätlese Riesling
($32) Zilliken is a great name
in German Riesling, and this
'03 shows why, joining vibrant
lime-peach flavors to thrilling
acidity. DRINK NOW, OR CELLAR
for up to 15 years.
5
- 1999 Giuseppe Rainoldi Fruttaio
Ca'Rizzieri Sfursat di Valtellina
($75) Flamboyantly
aromatic, with notes of coffee
and roasted nuts, this Nebbiolo
from Lombardian producer Rainoldi
is made from grapes that are
air-dried, then pressed and
fermented. DRINK NOW, OR CELLAR
for up to 15 years.
6
- 2001 Paul Jaboulet Aîné
Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de
Thalabert ($30) This
inky, peppery Syrah from one
of the Rhône's greatest
producers has been a value since
its first vintage, in 1953.
DRINK NOW, OR CELLAR for up
to 15 years.
7
- 2001 Yalumba the Octavius
Old Vine Shiraz ($100)
Yalumba, Australia's oldest
family-owned winery, makes this
blackberry-rich, seductive Shiraz
from the intense fruit of ancient
Barossa vines. DRINK NOW, OR
CELLAR for up to 17 years.
8
- 2001 Fisher Vineyards Wedding
Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
($125) In the terrific 2001
vintage, winemaker Whitney Fisher
made a powerful, red currant–driven
Cabernet from the fruit of this
terraced Sonoma vineyard. DRINK
NOW, OR CELLAR for up to 17
years.
9
- 2001 Château Palmer
($130) The red-fruited '01 Palmer,
from one of Margaux's most famous
châteaus, is deceptively
open at first, then its wire-taut
tannins clamp down. CELLAR for
five years, then drink for the
next 12.
10
- 2001 Poderi Colla Barolo Bussia
Dardi Le Rose ($60)
The 2001 vintage produced amazing
Barolos, like this imposingly
tannic wine from Poderi Colla,
a family that's been making
top wines in the Langhe hills
since 1703. CELLAR for five
years, then drink for the next
15.
11
- 1996 Dom Pérignon
($150) As top Champagnes like
this firm, layered one, age,
their acidity mellows and they
gain complex aromas of nuts,
brioche, even roasted coffee
beans. DRINK NOW, OR CELLAR
for up to 20 years.
12
- 2003 Quinta de Roriz Vintage
Port ($60) This famous
quinta's spicy, wild-berry-flavored
'03 vintage gets some of its
exotic character from the unusual
Sousão grape. DRINK NOW,
OR CELLAR for up to 30 years.
STAR
SELECTIONS
13
- 1996 Contino Gran Reserva
($65) One of the first
single-vineyard Riojas, this
velvety, cherry-vanilla-scented
wine is very long-lived; vintages
from the '60s are still drinking
gorgeously. DRINK NOW, OR CELLAR
for up to 20 years.
14
- 1995 Royal Tokaji Aszú
Mézes Mály
($115/500ml) This gold-colored
sweet wine, full of honey-apricot
flavor, is a six-puttonyos Tokay,
the highest quality level. DRINK
NOW, OR CELLAR for up to 30
years.
15
- 1997 Tyrrell's Vat 1 Hunter
Valley Sémillon
($40) Great Australian Hunter
Valley Sémillons like
this 1997, the current vintage,
are lemony and tart when young,
but over time gain a distinctive,
waxy, nutty depth. DRINK NOW,
OR CELLAR for up to 15 years.
GREAT
LINKS FOR WINE CELLARING
Vintage
Cellars
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it yourself VIDEO - Build Your
Own Wine Cellar
The
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