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5019_711_02001_IFU_GB
23-05-2007
14:24
Pagina 4
Introduction to wine
Wine storage
A characteristic of wine is that it can be stored over time: if kept in a
suitable place, white wines can be stored for about two years from their
vintage date, however it is best to consume them within one year. Light
red wines can be stored for up to two years, whereas some full-bodied
red wines will keep will for ten years and dessert wines even twenty years.
When purchasing a bottle of wine, immediately put it in your wine cellar or
another suitable place.
There are three all-important factors in the process of grape growing to
harvesting and vinification: light, humidity and ambient temperature. To
ensure that the taste of the wine reaches full maturity and to preserve the
bouquet, proper storage is necessary through the interaction of these
three factors.
Storage place
Not everyone has a basement suitable for use as a wine cellar.
Technology has only recently provided an effective substitute for
the classic wine cellar. Your new wine drawer is a special
appliance designed to hold and store wines in a correct way. In
fact, it should only be used for your favourite bottles of wine,
and not for fruit, vegetables and tins. In this way, you can age,
suitably store and taste any kind of wine, even if you do not
have a wine cellar space.
Storing
An important rule for storing your favourite bottles is to lay them horizontally or tilted to ensure that the
wine keeps the cork wet. Many think that this causes the classic "cork" smell. In actual fact, keeping the
cork in contact with the wine enhances its elasticity, thereby guaranteeing its functionality.
Another important factor in storing wine is how the bottles are arranged: the bottles can be arranged as
you like, but in an orderly way according to place of origin, type of wine, production area, producer and
vintage. Arranging the bottles so that they can be easily removed and used prevents any accidental jolting
which, like vibrations, can unsettle the sediments and alter the visual appearance of the wine for some
time. Therefore, move your bottles as little as possible, allowing the wine to rest.
Also, the bottles of wine must be kept away from substances or places with strong odours, since such
odours can be easily absorbed by the wine.
Temperature and humidity
Temperature is a critical and vital factor during the entire life-cycle of wine; it determines how well the
wine develops when aged in the bottle. For optimum storage, the temperature must be kept constant
between 8 and 12°C. Rapid and considerable temperature changes must be avoided: when the
temperature is too high, the liquids expand, accelerating the ageing process, whereas excessively low
temperatures (below 4 - 5°C) can cause tartrate precipitations, a defect that compromises the pleasant
appearance of the wine. In the extreme case of the temperature falling below 0°C, the wine can freeze
causing the cork to burst.
Humidity is also crucial for good storage: places that are too dry cause the cork to shrink, whereas places
that are too damp favour the formation of mould and harmful microorganisms. The relative humidity must
be kept between 50% - 70%.
The cork
The cork is a basic component of the bottle: its quality, selected by the wine maker, is very important for
correct ageing of the wine. The perfect condition of the cork, including corks of the bottles purchased,
depends exclusively on the standards of use and storage employed by the producer or bottler.
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