Wine storage has a huge effect on how your wine tastes when you serve it. The way you store your wine is almost as important as the grapes used to make it and the actual process of how the wine was made. Experts and serious wine enthusiasts will go out of their way to ensure that storage is ideal.
Usually you will need to create a wine cellar or other wine storage area in your home if you are going to be storing a large quantity of wine. The following explains the five aspects of your storage area that are important to good wine storage.
1. Light
Wine needs darkness in order to age properly. It is important that there is no sunlight and limited artificial light in the storage area.
2. Consistent Temperature
Temperature is important to wine. You do not want a temperature that is too hot or too cold. Temperature can relate to spoilage, so you have to ensure that it is kept at a consistent level. The ideal temperature is around 50 to 60 degrees. This temperature allows the wine to age properly and at a steady rate. If you have it too hot then the wine will age quickly and the flavors will not be allowed to develop as they would at a colder temperature.
3. No Vibration
You want to avoid any harsh vibrations which can cause a range of issues with your wine. Things like trains, subways, airports and even close traffic can cause vibrations that can crack bottles, dislodge corks and not allow the wine to settle properly.
4. Odor
You want to avoid an area where strong odors linger. Any strong smell will taint the wine as it ages. You do not want to ruin your carefully selected wines with a bad taste picked up form the storage area.
5. Humidity
The humidity of your storage area is very important. When the humidity is too low the cork will dry out. When the cork dries out it shrinks and allows air into the bottle. Air ruins the wine and will most often cause spoiling. You have to keep the area at a good humidity level which usually requires special equipment. Relying on nature to provide the right amount of humidity can spell disaster. You must have at least a minimum of 60% humidity.
These five aspects are very important to storing your wine. Most people who are storing wine at their home are interested in making quite an investment in the wine they buy. That is why you must understand the five aspects above. Without a proper understanding you will end up with a lot of wasted money on wine that is spoiled or has a bad taste due to bad storage.
You do not want to lose on your investment because you did not create adequate storage. You will need to pay attention and be smart about wine storage so that you can be proud of your wine purchases and create the best tasting wine possible.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/how-to-store-wine-5-basic-considerations-430966.html
About the Author:
For more information on wine gift and wine glasses. Also see wine vacuum pump.
Of the many types of wine available, one of the most sought after is ice wine. Ice wine is rare, and can only be produced in certain regions, under certain weather conditions. Ice wine is produced in colder temperatures, such as British Columbia, where the weather conditions are right for the production of this type of wine.
Ice wine is produced in small quantities, making it rare and hard to find. Because of this, ice wine is generally much more expensive than other wines. There are some wines that are called ice wines that are affordable, but true ice wine does come with a hefty price tag.
Of the many types of wine available, one of the most sought after is ice wine. Ice wine is rare, and can only be produced in certain regions, under certain weather conditions. Ice wine is produced in colder temperatures, such as British Columbia, where the weather conditions are right for the production of this type of wine. Ice wines can also be found in the Pacific Northwest, and some other regions where the temperatures are right.
Ice wine is produced in small quantities, making it rare and hard to find. Because of this, ice wine is generally much more expensive than other wines. There are some wines that are called ice wines that are affordable, but true ice wine does come with a hefty price tag. The cheaper ones are also called icebox wines, and are produced differently than a true ice wine.
The weather conditions are critical for making a true ice wine. Ice wine is pressed from frozen grapes. The grapes are left on the vine to fully ripen, then when the weather reaches low enough temperatures, around -8 degrees C., the grapes freeze. Once frozen, the grapes are picked at night, when the temperatures are coldest, and taken to be pressed.
The pressing also takes place in cold temperatures, so that the water in the grapes remains frozen. The frozen grapes produce only a small amount of juice, since the water in the grape is frozen. Because the grapes have remained on the vine to fully ripen, and because the water is frozen, the juice and the sugars that remain are incredibly concentrated, producing a very flavorful juice. This juice is then fermented to produce ice wine. The resulting product is a very concentrated, sweet wine. The high sugar level also results in a slower fermentation process. So ice wine takes longer to produce than a normal table wine.
There are also wines produced that are called ice wine, but they are produced differently. The grapes are picked earlier, and then frozen before pressing them for their juice. As a result, the flavors of the grapes are not as fully developed as in ice wine. As stated above, these wines are also known as icebox wines.
All of these factors, the particular weather conditions, and the sparse amount of juice from each grape, are what makes ice wine so rare and expensive. Ice wine is usually sold in half bottles, as opposed to regular wine, which typically is sold in 750ml bottles. Most stores do not sell ice wine, and it is hard to find online. Even if you can find it, it may be a bit expensive. But if you can, it is well worth it. Ice wine, because of the sugar content is very sweet, but not cloyingly so. The acid helps to balance out the sweetness.
Once produced, ice wine will sell very quickly. If you find a wine maker with some ice wine, you should do your best to pick up a bottle or two. It will be expensive, but well worth it.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/about-ice-wine-471723.html
About the Author:
Visit Wine Country Guide for more information on wine and wine growing regions.
Author: Caroline Silverstone
Wine is such a wonderful luxury, that it can be and is enjoyed by multitudes of people throughout the world. Most of these people never experience a one hundred-dollar bottle of wine. Yet there are so many different affordable wines on the market that are absolutely wonderful, that you need not break the bank in order to enjoy wine and trying new wines. You just need to know insider tips on finding the best wine at the best price.
Wine Tasting
One way is through wine store or liquor store sponsored wine tastings. Such events tend to generally be very low priced or even free. The free wine tastings tend to offer only a very few selections to try, usually around five or fewer. They often only have one wine of each type. However, many stores will do much bigger tastings, with thirty or more wines to taste and will typically charge between five or ten dollars per person. There are usually tables representing countries, wine regions or even wine producers, with a variety of different wines to sample before moving on to the next table. Usually staffed by “wine specialists”, these employees are armed with information to teach you about the wines you are tasting and give you advice about which selections to make. Quite often these types of wine tastings showcase wines from a variety of price ranges, depending of the income demographics of the area where the store is located.
Wine Bars
Wine bars are another route to go when looking for affordable wines. A general rule of thumb is that if you double the price of your glass of wine that you order in such places, you will have more than paid for a bottle of it. Therefore, if you try something that is $6 or less a glass, then you know that it will definitely be an affordable wine for you to buy for home. More and more wine bars also offer taste prices, as opposed to glass prices, which open up your possibility of testing out a couple of different types before committing to one.
Ratings
Familiarize yourself with the ratings systems for wines. Anything rated above 86 points is usually deemed to be very good. There are several different rating groups, which provide independent ratings and reviews of wines from any and all price ranges. Obviously, you make the final decision, but ratings are very useful if you are looking to buy good wines that are affordable too, without having first tasted them.
Wine Specialists
When you shop for wines, ask to speak with a wine specialist in the store to see if he or she has any recommendations. Often they are a good source of information. Apart from formal wine education, they can often advise you based on comments from other customers and from their knowledge of the volume of specific wines sold. If you happen upon a wine that a store usually “can’t keep on their shelves”, you may want to try it. It may be a much better bet than the bottle next to it that is the same price but covered in dust.
By putting these tips to work and doing a little extra reading on affordable wines too, you should be able to fill your wine shelves with great bargains in no time.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/how-to-find-affordable-wines-that-are-good-331657.html
About the Author:
Wine Gifts. Fine quality wine gifts and wine accessories at this unique wine gift store. Also find fine wine glasses from Riedel to Waterford.