Your cellar :
Many inexpensive, light, simple, easy-drinking wines, such as ones made from Chasselas or Gamay are designed to be consumed almost immediately after purchase and need no special looking after. However, most high-quality wines are meant to be aged for anything between a few months and several years.
(Alain, c'est très parlant pour un public Suisse, mais pas nous autres…)
Aging has a fascinating number of synergistic effects on wine. Certain components such as ether, acids, alcohol, and aldhydes interact with each other thanks to the introduction of minute amounts of oxygen via the cork.
At wine estates all over the world, winegrowers work extremely hard in the vineyard and the cellar to provide the best possible product to the end consumer. So, compromising all this hard work through poor storage is a tremendous shame… This is why there are four basic rules to make sure you will always enjoy your wines at their best.
Putting together a good cellar is not rocket science. Bottles should be stored horizontally in a quiet, reasonably cool location. Most importantly, the cellar should be humid – 70% humidity is ideal not only for the wine, but also the corks and labels.
If located too close to a road, railway line, or other noise source, the resulting vibrations can have an adverse effect. If this is the case with your cellar, avoid long-term storage, or keeping old wines there. In any event, old wines should not be handled more than necessary. Simply moving the bottle can put pressure on the cork and allow air into the bottle.
Light that is too strong and/or too frequent can harm your wine, especially if it is in clear glass bottles, which offer little or no protection. Neon lights are particularly harmful and sparkling wines such as Champagne will quickly lose their fizz if exposed for extended periods of time. On the other hand, occasional exposure to light poses only a minimal risk.
While wine is sensitive to temperature, moderate changes through the seasons help it to age gracefully. An acceptable variation is from 8 to 18° over any 12-month period, ideally averaging 12°. Slightly exceeding these guidelines is unlikely to have any adverse effects. As a rule of thumb, cold temperatures slow down aging, whereas warm ones speed it up. Damage to wine generally occurs when there is an extreme rise or drop in temperature. So, avoid storing your bottles in a place where you are planning to install a boiler!
While many cellars possess all of the above qualities, they often fall down because the air is too dry.
Corks need humidity in order to stay moist and continue to protect the wine. In overly dry surroundings, corks will begin to absorb wine. This will lower the level of wine in the bottle and lead to oxidation, and irreparable damage to your wines over time. So, the more damp the cellar, the better! The only drawback is that labels tend to fade in a really humid environment, so it is a good idea to put some plastic wrap around the labels of your more valuable bottles.
Many homes simply do not have anywhere suitable to keep large quantities of wine. In this case, you could consider:
Redesigning and installing air conditioning in your basement:
As well as being complicated, this is also likely to be an expensive solution, particularly if it requires digging, re-insulating, or installing air conditioning units. One less expensive possibility is to purchase a large (several m3) polyester-lined wine box capable of holding a significant number of bottles.
Some wine shops offer storage service in a proper cellar. This option has the benefit of professional advice and the possibility of expanding your collection. The downside is that your wines are not readily available, and you have to plan your wine consumption well in advance.
It is also possible to buy a temperature-controlled wine cabinet. These range in capacity from 50 to 200 bottles. Fitting easily into most houses, and also used by many restaurants, these devices are an excellent way to store your wines. Some even have adjustable temperature compartments, ideal for restaurants who wish, for example, to keep different sorts of wine at the right serving temperature (8°C for white and 14°C for reds), as well as for wine lovers who wish to mimic the seasons and vary the temperature of their bottles gradually by 2 or 3°C several times a year. Apart from the price tag, the main problem with these wine cabinets is having to remove many bottles to get to the one you want. There is also the matter of emptying the cabinet and cleaning it every 12-18 months, not forgetting the sharp variations in temperature every time you open the door to search for a bottle (which can be harmful to the wine). Last, but not least, this is not a very ecologically-minded option due to high energy consumption.
As you begin to build up your wine collection, it is a good idea to keep an inventory. As well as noting where, when, and how much you paid for each bottle, this also helps to choose wines at optimum maturity. Whether you use a traditional paper-based system or specialist computer software, an inventory is invaluable in ensuring that you drink your best wines at their peak.
Because corks are porous, wine is very sensitive to odors, so be sure not to store bottles too close to oil, solvents, chemicals, etc.
Furthermore, unless you don't mind your wine going completely sour, avoid keeping it close to a vinegar barrel! The same goes for certain vegetables and strong-smelling food products.
Keep your inventory and all receipts in a safe place – you will need to produce them in the event of an insurance claim.
