Which wines to Cellar?
What is a wine cellar?
The Wine Cellar
The
wine cellar is a place where the wine can rest and age gracefully. For this to
occur wines should be
-
Arranged orderly so you can find your wine and keep a diary and tasting notes
to identify changes in the wine
-
Sleeping on their sides, the corks need to be kept moist as this will slow gas
exchange through the cork and slow the rate of decay of the cork
-
In
the dark, wine will be damaged by constant UV light much the same way that UV
will denature our skin and cause damage. The cellar is best lite with
incandescent light
-
In moist
air, moist air or rather higher humidity will keep the outside of the cork
moist reducing liquid exchange through the cork and helping to preserve the
integrity of the cork itself. If storing in a cool room ensure that there is a
humidifier as well as cool rooms operate at very low humidity
-
Temperature
constant, recent
studies have shown that the temperature of the cellar should be constant more
than a specific temperature as sudden changes in a wines temperature is a major
cause of change in a wine and these changes usually cause a degradation of the
wines quality
The
main reason for establishing a cellar is to be able to enjoy developed wines in the future
that to buy at the present value would be restrictive. A wine cellar should be
an investment in your future enjoyment.
Which
Wines to Cellar
Not
all wines will benefit from ageing or cellaring. Early drinking or thin wines
will age very quickly and oxidise readily causing heavy yellowing in fruity type
whites and browning in reds in association with acetic acid (vinegar) being
produced among other horrible and nasty type smells and tastes. These wines can
be described by the acronym DNPIM (do not put in mouth).
What to look
for when considering to cellar wines or if they are cellaring well
-
Deep rich coloured reds
-
Full and exciting nose and palate.
Aged reds may sometimes produce some nasty or volatile smells and these will
usually blow off after letting the wine breath or by decanting
-
Generous mouth feel, how are the
tannins?
-
Does the wine look
bright and does it have a sparkle to it? Dull wines are indicative of wines that
have a poor acid structure
-
Wine should be
clear. Impression of opacity is not a problem if you hold the wine to the light
and can see that it is clear as wines stored in oak for long periods will take
on some oak tannins and these give the wine a deeper almost opaque type look.
Cloudy wines or not completely clear are a problem.
-
Colour of the hue.
The hue can be viewed by holding the wine glass over a white surface on a 45
degree angle and looking at the outer most rim of the wine. It is here that you
will best see the condition of the wines colour. Orange, yellow or brown colours
are indications of age and oxidation. In a young wine this indicates that it is
ageing poorly and will not hold. A little in a 15 year old wine indicates that
it is doing well and there may be no need to rush and finish your stock.
Good wines that are generally heavier styles and well stabilised, can continue
to improve for many years creating smooth full wines. The primary fruit
qualities transform into secondary ones (fruits become more savoury). Terms like
full or heavy refer to the taste and appearance rather than the dictionary
definition of the words.
Taste
award winning local wines today at ILNAM Estate
ILNAM Estate is
a unique tourist attraction as we are the only winery on
the Tweed. ILNAM Estate Winery is located just 20 minutes from the Gold Coast
Airport, 40 minutes from Surfers Paradise and only 1 hour 20 minutes from
Brisbane.
ILNAM ESTATE WINERY- 750 Carool Road,
Carool NSW- Ph (07) 5590 7703
