Category: wine

Individuals have to truly be a wine connoisseur to have the need of a wine cellar in their home. These wine cellars have very specific requirements that have to be met in order for the wine to be stored properly so that it develops or maintains its flavor over time. There are temperature requirements, light requirements and angle requirements as well as others that help to ensure that the wine is well kept. Although there are some variations in wine cellar design, such as how the racks are set up or how the cellar itself is shaped, the specifications of a typical wine cellar do not vary, since the quality of the wine would vary or even become ruined if they are not met.

Specifications

The first specification of a wine cellar is that it be kept at a constant temperature. The ideal temperature for wine storage is at about 55F. There are some historians that believe this is the ideal temperature because that is the approximate temperature inside of the caves where the first wines were developed in France. There can be some sort of a temperature difference, ranging from 45 to 60F, but ideally the temperature should not range more than a few degrees on either side of 55F. When a wine is taken out of the wine cellar, it should be used within a day or two so that it does not go bad. The wine ages much more quickly in higher temperatures and will turn a brownish color when it has gone bad. If the wine needs to be stored for a couple of days before opening it, it can be placed in the refrigerator, but it should be brought to the correct serving temperature before it is opened.

In addition to the temperature, a wine cellar should also have about sixty to seventy percent humidity in it. If there is any less humidity, the cork can get too dry and crack which allows air into the bottle. If there is too much humidity, then the cork can rot or get mildew on it which is also not good for the wine. The wine cellar should also be free of any smells that can seep into the wine and cause an unpleasant flavor. If cleaning solutions are stored in the wine cellar this can cause a problem. Another issue that should be considered when creating a wine cellar is light. Light damages the wine, which is why the wine bottles are always a dark color. There should be little to no sunlight that is let into the wine cellar. Finally, the bottles should be stored somewhere between horizontal and a forty-five degree angle. The important factor is that there is no air between the wine and the cork.

When a person is new to the experience of drinking wine, he will often not know what to look for in the various wines or even what the different options are. They especially will not have a need of a wine cellar until they become a more accomplished connoisseur of the drink so that they collect rare bottles or host parties where they have need of larger amounts of wine. There are wines that come from all over the world, with the most common areas being France, Italy and California. There are also bottles that come from other areas of the world and inside of the United States, but they are not as popular on the market today.

Types

There are many different types of red and white wine, and each should be chosen according to the tastes of the individual as well as the type of meal that is being enjoyed. There are eight major types of red wine and even more that are variants of these main types. There is the Shiraz type that is spicy and is a great choice to go with red meat dishes. There is the merlot which is a milder wine, good for those who are just breaking into the experience. Merlots go with almost any dish since they are milder, but are also great with red meat. Cabernet sauvignon is another type which is more full bodied than the merlot and is tasty with red meat. The malbek is an easy to drink wine that is similar to the merlot in that characteristic but tastes more of plums and berries with a hint of spice to it. Other varieties include the pinot noir, the zinfandel, the sanviovese, and the barbera.

White wines also have main varieties, such as the chardonnay, gewrztraminer, and the sauvignon blanc, since these are the main grape varieties in white wines. Whites can be made in a bubbly or a still fashion and can range from very dry to very sweet. Some types of white wine are the Semillon which is dry and is good with many seafood or pasta dishes. The Muscat is best to drink alone, without a meal since it is usually sweet and fruity. The pinot grigio is another popular type which goes well with many different meals, just as the Riesling does. Individuals who taste different varieties should experiment so that they can find the types that work well for them. Researchers have found that having a glass of wine a day can be beneficial to heart health since there are antioxidents and polyphenols that help to prevent harm to the body from free radicals, thus making the drink healthy as well as delicious.