Tuesday, November 13, 2012

All You Need To Know About Proper Wine Aging

By Ben Teaf


Wine ages better when it is stored properly. If a wine is aged properly, it tastes better. Read through this page and learn a few tips for better wine aging.

Temperature and humidity play a vital role in wine aging. If the temperature or the humidity in the wine storage room fluctuates a lot, the wine will surely be damaged. A few causes of fluctuation in temperature are constant opening of the cellar door and repeated transferring of a wine bottle from the wine room to a wine refrigerator. Experts suggest that wine should be stored in a cool area, where the temperature is constantly kept within 55 to 69 degrees Fahrenheit. Wine needs to be cooled within this range so that it can efficiently develop its complexity and have a more aromatic bouquet. An adequately cool environment is necessary for wine to age slowly. Wine aging should happen at a gradual pace, otherwise wine will not taste as good as it should.

Experts suggest that the right level of humidity for proper wine storage should be around 60 to 70%. Wine corks dry out when the humidity goes below this range, which leads to air seeping into the bottle. When air gets inside the wine bottle, oxidation occurs, which ruins the flavor of wine. On the other hand, if humidity goes higher than the ideal range, mold and mildew might develop.

The speed of the wine aging process depends on how far your store it from the floor. The floor of any custom wine cellar is the coolest area in the storage room. Wines stored closest to the floor age slower than those stored farther from the floor. Slower aging allows wine to develop its complexity better and increase its aromatic bouquet more.

Wine ages best when the ullage, or the air bubble in the wine bottle, are at the top and in contact with the cork. When the ullage is near the top, oxidation is slower and more gradual and thus produces a better maturation process. To keep the ullage at the top, wine bottles should be stored lying horizontally, or at angle, top part downwards.




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