Great Fine Wine

If you’re like me, you like your wine…a lot, and you drink it after work, with a special meal, or for a particular occasion. You may have a bottle or two around the house. That’s what I always did, that way I was always ready for a last minute guest or event, but I didn’t know one thing: how to store my wine properly.

There’s a lot of wine rules and standards that a bunch of wine enthusiast follow, but Ii was never one to follow them. I assumed that knowing the basics was all I needed to enjoy my wine just enough, without overdoing it. At first, I didn’t use a wine decanter or even gave a second thought to the type of crystal wine glasses I was using. This went for how I stored my wine. But then, on a lark, I thought I would try storing my bottles the way you are supposed to, and believe or not, the taste improved dramatically, so even if you aren’t overly consumed by the latest wine rules, consider this one on wine storage a staple.

Temperature: First off, no matter what type of wine you have on hand, it should always be stored in a cool setting-yes! This is why wine enthusiast have wine cellars, for optimal taste! While the best tempurature for wine varies slightly, 55 degrees is a good target.  Too much warmer than this temperature, and you will find a much more acidic taste to your wine-one that you won’t enjoy. Moreover, make sure that the temperature is steady and not subject to fluctuation, as this will dramatically alter the contents of your wine bottle.

Light: Make sure if you want your wine to retain its original full flavor, that you store it in a place where not a lot of light can get at it. If a bottle of wine is in the light for extended periods of time, it will age the wine considerably, affecting its flavors.

Humidity: Another key consideration when it comes to optimal wine storage is making sure that the humidity levels are just right. It should be, on average, more humid than not in order to keep the wine corks from shrinking. Air will oxidize your wine, so make sure you don’t get cork shrinkage. So, what the right humidity level for storing wine? Somewhere between 65% and 75%. This is why damp basements and cellars can work so well for wine storage.

Sideways: This may seem a strange one to some, it did to me, but there has got to be a reason so many wine racks and cellars hold their wine bottles sideways instead of upright, right? Yes. It is because in order to ensure that the cork is protected from shrinking, it needs to stay moist. That said, the best way to keep the cork moist is to store your wine on it’s side.

Travel: When traveling with your wine, you know, to a party or to a BYOB resaurant be sure to use a wine bottle bag.  This will help keep your wine at the right temperature and keep it protected from bouncing around.

Further Reading:

Kitchen Confidential Updated Ed: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (P.S.)Most diners believe that their sublime sliver of seared foie gras, topped with an ethereal buckwheat blini and a drizzle of piquant huckleberry sauce, was created by a culinary artist of the highest order, a sensitive, highly refined executive chef. The truth is more brutal. More likely, writes Anthony Bourdain in Kitchen Confidential, that elegant three-star concoction is the collaborative effort of a team of "wacked-out moral degenerates, dope fiends, refugees, a thuggish assortment of drunks, sneak thieves, sluts, and psychopaths," in all likelihood pierced or tattooed and incapable of uttering a sentence without an expletive or a foreign phrase. Such is the muscular view of the culinary trenches from one who's been groveling in them, with obvious sadomasochistic pleasure, for more than 20 years. CIA-trained Bourdain, currently the executive chef of the celebrated Les Halles, wrote two culinary mysteries before his first (and infamous) New Yorker essay launched this frank confessional about the lusty and larcenous real lives of cooks and restaurateurs. He is obscenely eloquent, unapologetically opinionated, and a damn fine storyteller--a Jack Kerouac of the kitchen. Those without the stomach for this kind of joyride should note his opening caveat: "There will be horror stories. Heavy drinking, drugs, screwing in the dry-goods area, unappetizing industry-wide practices. Talking about why you probably shouldn't order fish on a Monday, why those who favor well-done get the scrapings from the bottom of the barrel, and why seafood frittata is not a wise brunch selection.... But I'm simply not going to deceive anybody about the life as I've seen it." --Sumi Hahn

Wines & SpiritsWines & Spirits showcases the evolution of an artist who crosses borders without fear. Nearly three years in the making, Wines & Spirits confirms why Rahsaan Patterson has influenced everyone from Van Hunt to Brandy.

From the fresh alternative dance beats of Delirium , to the retro-gospel shades of Oh Lord , to the infectious joy of Higher Love , Wines & Spirits is a revelation of new soul, and Rahsaan s testament of change, growth and human experience.

Viuda de Sanchez Sangrita 1LSangrita ("little blood") is a spicy Mexican drink served as a chaser, a co-sip or as a mix. The traditional method is to alternate sips of tequila with sangrita, but it is sometimes mixed with the tequila and served in a single glass.

Balloon Bottle TopperBalloon Bottle Toppers turn any bottled beverage into a gift. Inflates by straw and assembles in seconds.

Global Accessories 761192-94 Premier Custom Floor Mats - 4 PC SET WineColor is Wine. America's best fitting custom floor mats. Available for cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles. Select from a wide variety of combinations designed for maximum protection! Precision stitched edging adds extra wear protection. Durable Nylon pile. Choose from a wide variety of colors to compliment your vehicles interior. Heavy nibbed non-slip rubber backing. Waterproof and washable. Lifetime Guarantee. - for DODGE SPIRIT 1991-1995

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.