Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2009: Storing and Serving

STORING YOUR WINE

Wine evolves from the time it's made until it's at its prime, and to give your wine its best chance of reaching peak condition you need to protect it. Throughout its life, the fruit mellows, the colour changes, tannins, acids and wood components soften, and complexity increases - these processes should be slow and gentle for the wine to peak at its best and there are a few key factors to consider.

COOL TEMPERATURE

The ideal storage temperature for wine is between 10º and 11º centigrade, but anything between 5º and 18º is okay. Freezing or very hot temperatures will have obvious consequences - a bottle of wine should never experience anything higher than 35º. And just as important is the need to maintain a constant temperature: big seasonal variations should be avoided, while changes during the course of a day should not exceed a few degrees. If you don't have a temperature-controlled cellar, at least store your wine in a cool part of the house.

LOW LIGHTING

Wine is best kept in the dark for most of its life - bright light, particularly sunlight, can affect its complexity and maturation potential and eventually spoil it altogether. We're not talking about switching a light on and off, or occasionally opening and closing a window or door, but bottles exposed to excessive light too often or for too long.

LYING DOWN

Most bottles of wine should be laid down on their sides - horizontal, or at least at an angle sufficient to keep the corks in contact with the wine. What you want to avoid are dried-out corks, which are less efficient seals and more prone to letting air in or wine out. Too much exposure to oxygen and the wine goes downhill fast, eventually becoming completely oxidised or ‘off'. Wines bottled under screwcap can be stored standing upright, but why risk it? If there is a leak, it's better to become aware of it by way of detectable seepage than to be oblivious to air getting into the bottle.

NOT TOO DRY OR TOO HUMID
Ideal wine storage conditions involve a humidity level of between 70 and 75% - a lot of moisture in the air can result in mildew developing on the labels and corks, whereas very little will cause the corks to dry out and shrink, allowing air into the bottles and leading to accelerated development at best, spoilage of the wine at worst.

PEACE AND QUIET
Worth bearing in mind if the wine is going to be kept for several years or more before drinking is that it should be left as undisturbed as possible - particularly in the case of red wines that develop a sediment, best left to settle at the bottom or on the side of the bottle. Simply put: wine can take the odd ‘body blow' (during transport, for instance), but it objects to being treated like a punching bag (keep movement to a minimum). Kitchens and garages are not suitable - not only due to too much human activity, but also because of odours and big temperature fluctuations. Stay clear of washing machines, hi-fi sound systems and appliances in general.

USEFUL EQUIPMENT
When it comes to wine racks, the metal versions are most space efficient and some of them look pretty good. Racks made from wood and other materials can be smart in appearance but tend to hold fewer bottles per square/cubic metre. Also useful are thermometer and humidity gauges. And bottle neck-tags placed selectively here and there as handy indicators as to what's in a particular rack or on this or that shelf (bearing in mind that once the bottles are in their racks the labels can be difficult to read).

SERVING TEMPERATURES

Generally speaking, most red wines are best served at between 16º and 18º centigrade and most whites should be chilled before drinking. The colder it is, the more subdued the character of the wine will be - too cold and the nose (smell) and flavours will be completely
suppressed; too warm and the wine's characteristics will be accentuated way more than was intended. Ideally, the different types of wines should be poured at the following temperatures:

Sweet sparkling wines at 5º - 8º C
Dry sparkling wines at 8º - 10º C
Off-dry & semi-sweet at 8º - 14º C
Rosé & Blanc de Noir at 8º - 14º C
Unwooded dry whites at 8º - 14º C
Wooded dry whites at 13º - 16º C
Lighter-style red wine at 10º - 14º C
Full-bodied red wine at 16º - 18º C
Desserts, white port at 8º - 10º C
Dry sherry at 5º - 8º C
Medium cream sherry at 8º - 10º C
Full cream sherry at 8º - 10º C
Red port at 16º - 18º C
Brandy at 16º - 18º C

Once you've got the wine to the right temperature for serving, you need to keep it there until the bottle is empty - this is where ice-buckets and wine coolers/chillers come in handy.