Wine Storage Solutions And Tips
Friday, July 9th, 2010An oenophile is a person who loves to discuss and to drink wine. Wine is a truly remarkable beverage, which came into being because of the ubiquity of yeast in the environment. When yeast lands in grape juice or any other sweet liquid, it interacts with the sugars present to produce fermentation.
Back in the ancient world someone discovered that if he put yeast into grape juice he turned it into an entirely new drink. What he may or may not have understood is that yeast causes the grape juice to ferment which changes all the sugar in the juice into alcohol. He shared his drink with others who agreed that he had come up with something pretty good. That is when ancient peoples began intentionally making juice into wine.
Back in those days a vintner had little choice as far as wine storage solutions. He could keep wine in crocks and ewers. He had no way to control the temperature the wine was exposed to or the humidity. Wine that was kept for long periods of time might well have turned to vinegar by the time it was opened. Later it was discovered that the conditions in caves and cellars were good for the keeping of wines, and wine cellars were born.
Just as they learned that wine needs different conditions to develop and quite another set for aging and storage, modern wine lovers have learned that wine storage solutions need to meet different situations. For modest wines in a home that is kept at a reasonably moderate temperature and humidity, open wine racks provide adequate wine storage for many tastes.
Wine storage coolers work to protect wine and keep it at its best possible quality. If you are a serious wine lover you may want to purchase one in order to maintain more precise conditions for your wine. The sizes of wine storage coolers vary and can be as large as a room sized refrigerator chamber, or small enough to hold only one bottle. Choosing the best wine storage solutions for your household will depend on what is being stored, the budget, and preferred taste.
It is a meticulous task to keep wine in top condition and keep it aging appropriately. There is little room for temperature variations. They only range from no lower than 40 degrees and no higher than 65 degrees Fahrenheit, the more consistent the temperature the better. There is only one recommended allowance for change each year also at least fifty percent humidity should be maintained. Wines can also be ruined by light and so the cooler should be kept light tight and out of direct sunlight.
The preferred method for wine storage is that the bottles be lying on their sides horizontally. An angle up to 45 degrees will work, but angles less than 25 degrees are much better. You can use a cooler to stack loose bottles if you like; however, this arrangement makes it difficult to get to bottles in the bottom rows of the stack. Therefore, wine racks work better. When buying a wine rack, make sure it has spaces for wine bottles that are different shapes and sizes. If the rack is going to be on display, you should buy an attractive unit.
A true wine connoisseur wants to have the optimal wine storage solutions. That might be simple or elaborate wine racks or coolers.