Our Wine Care Guide can Improve your Wine

An Introduction to Wine:
Wine is a perishable food. It is created through two naturally occurring living processes; the growth of grapes on the vine and the conversion of the sugar in those grapes to alcohol by yeast. Born out of life, wine is a complex, fragile balance of amino acids, phenols, carbohydrates and other components that are easily affected by physical or chemical changes.

For centuries, wine has been laid down to mature in cool, damp cellars. It is only within the last century that we have begun to understand what transpires in the bottle during the aging process – why wine improves with age and what can affect wine negatively during the aging process.

Temperature Requirements:
General rule of thumb for long-term storage of wine is 54-57 degrees (12° to 14°C).

If you intend to keep wine for longer than a year or two, cooler temperatures are desired. Quality white wines are usually consumed sooner than red wines and can benefit by cooler storage. In this case, the esters, or fruity character, disappear more rapidly at warmer temperatures.

Cork Basics:
Corks tend to deteriorate after about 10 years, the rate of deterioration being affected by temperature and humidity. Warm and excessively humid environments cause growth of molds, which attack both the cork and the label. Insufficient humidity may cause the cork to dry and crumble, in which case it should be replaced.

When wine is stored on its side, the cork remains wet. As long as it is wet, the transmission of air through the cork into the wine is minimal. If the wines are stored upright and the cork dries out, oxygen in the air will rapidly cause chemical changes in the wine, spoiling it. The cork may work loose due to pressure changes, causing leakage of wine or permitting exposure to air.

The wine aging process is also negatively affected by vibration.

Summary:
At Rosehill Wine Cellars, we build wine cellars that are designed to give your wine a consistent environment throughout the aging process. We insure an ideal temperature, humidity, and vibration free wine storage with a selection of wine cabinets, cooling units, metal and wood wine racks, or even a custom wine cellar design. Proper wine storage provided by Rosehill Wine Cellars will ensure you enjoy your wines to the fullest.

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Useful Links:

Uncorked.com – Wine Care & Serving

WineIntro.com – Wine Basics