Cellaring wine
Duane’s Cellaring Insights
I have lost count of the times I’ve had this conversation. “Yes, we have a wine cellar. It’s under the stairwell in the middle of the house”
If it’s not temperature controlled, either naturally or mechanically, it’s not a wine cellar, it’s a storage cupboard.
Don’t believe me? Then grab a thermometer that records the highest and lowest temperatures over a given period of time and see what results you get.
SO, why isn’t the under the stairs a great storage spot for wine? It has to do with the highs and lows of the temperature variation. Wine does respond well to this! As the temperature of the bottle increases, the wine expands. As it cools, the wine shrinks in mass, creating a slight pump cycle that draw in oxygen through a cork – we don’t want this! If your wine is under screwcap, (which most Australia wine is) then the variation can accelerate the aging process and or damage chemical compounds. Screwcaps are less susceptible to oxidising from temperature fluctuations than corked wine, but they still love a constant temperature.
The upside for under the stair is that it’s dark and wine likes to be kept in the dark. UV light can degrade wine, especially delicate wines like Champagne just from the light striking. Unfortunately, this subtle influence will negatively affect flavour.
So why cellar wine in the first place – I mean it’s made to be drunk isn’t it?
The two most important reasons are:
Flavour development
Softening of the tannins
Let’s take a young Nebbiolo for example, bright red fruits on the nose, floral, ripe cherries on the palate and drying tannin, lots of it. This is great for aging, but can throw the wine out of balance when young. Not everyone loves that hard drying tannin. Cellar it well and watch it blossom into something quite different. The tannin will soften out making the wine silky and the wine’s fruit flavours will be morphed to reflect a blend of savoury and primary fruit flavours; think leather, tobacco, dried fruits and rose petals. It will continue its savoury evolution the longer you cellar it for.
A very simplified way of explaining what’s happening is that the tannin is binding with the dissolved oxygen in the wine to soften the tannin, while the flavour profile is evolving in a confined space without excessive oxygen.
Now who could ignore one of the Australia’s wine treasures…aged Hunter Semillon. If you have ever had the pleasure of enjoying one, you will know what I’m talking about. Semillon is Australia’s best white wine to age, with the spectacular transformation making it well worth the patience. A wine aged to perfection is perfect for those special milestone occasions.
My advice? Buy yourself a wine fridge and fill it up. It doesn’t have to be an expensive one. A full wine fridge is a happy and more importantly a cheap to run wine fridge.
Now sit back, grab a glass and wait for that bottle of Glandore goodness to display it’s best flavours. Or if you want to have your wine and drink it too, pay us a visit – we have a cellar full of back Vintages ready to load up your new wine fridge.
