"If You Must Wine, Cellar It"
by Jessica Groach
Home Improvement Ideas Columnist
Did you know it was the ancient Romans who discovered that wine could improve with age? Being the first to use corks, some Roman wines were successfully kept as long as 100 years.
If you want your wines to keep well, consider building a wine cellar. There's no beating the convenience of having the right wine available at the right time. Because wine is an evolving thing, it's fun to visit your cellar and analyze wine as it matures, to detect any changes in taste or structure. Plus, if you truly love wine, there's no point in spending money for a fine wine unless you can keep it properly stored.
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The Right Temperature For Wine: Essential Conditions
Your wine cellar doesn't need a lot of excessive accommodations. The following are some guidelines when choosing the ideal location for your wine cellar:
- Temperature is the most important criteria for storing wine. The optimum temperature for storing wine is 50-55°F (10-12°C). Fluctuations of even 10° in temperature can permanently ruin a good wine. Basements are very often good locations for wine cellars, because of their constantly cool temperatures.
- You need darkness. Light will prematurely age wine (which is why they usually come in dark bottles). Many people store wine in their kitchen, which is actually the worst place; not only is it usually the brightest room of the house, it's also the warmest.
- Calm is essential. Constant vibration disturbs a wine's sediment, and can harm its quality. Wherever you store your wine, keep it there until you drink it.
- Humidity is important, so that the cork remains moist. This way, air can't get in and damage the wine.
Once you've determined the place in your home best suited to wine, ask your local wine merchant who they would recommend to build a wine cellar in your home.
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About the Author
Jessica Groach-Santina is a freelance writer with a background in media and promotions. She also teaches first-year writing courses at the University of Nevada, Reno.
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