Wine Cooler Blog » kitchen wine racks

Wine Storage Solutions: ” . . .A Jug of Wine. . .”

belindasenn — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:56:22 +0000

Edward FitzGerald first translated the Rubaiyat by Omar Khayyan (1048-1123) from Persian to English in 1859. Over the years, there has been much debate about the accuracy of his translation. The fact remains that the words penned by FitzGerald remain remembered today.

I first heard the following infamous, translated lines in my high school English class: “A Book of Verses underneath the Bough, A Jug of Wine, a loaf of Bread – and Thou.” Only a few things taught during my high school years remain as vivid to me as those words from the Rubaiyat.

Later, I became a Forester who led a life that was often “underneath the Bough” in one forest after another. Instead of a “Book of Verses,” I carried and read my official USDA Forest Service timber field manual. When in the woods, my “Loaf of Bread” was really a double-decker baloney sandwich. I could not carry “a Jug of Wine” while working so water was the substitute of choice. “Thou” for me at the time was my many co-workers who walked the forest with me. I spent over 30 years living the life that Omar so ably described. It was a good life for me—even though I regretted missing the “Jug of Wine” part.

What about wine? The ever-increasing favorite of many people, including myself, is wine. The choices one has today seem nearly infinite with over 1000 different wine varieties available. Omar touted wine as a key ingredient to enjoyment “beneath the Bough.” Some wines may even have beneficial health effects when taken in moderation. Many of us now agree Omar was on to something.

In Omar’s day, the old fashioned wine cellar or cave stored that era’s favorite wines. The cellars and caves were dark, humid and maintained a relatively constant cool temperature, nearly perfect for wine storage. Today, access to those storage facilities is not readily available to most of us. Fortunately purchasing products to fit anyone’s wine storage and serving needs is now easy in the market place. There are wine coolers that fit small spaces, can be freestanding any where in the home, can be installed beneath your countertop, and can other accommodate beverages as well as wine. There are even wine coolers with thermoelectric technology that are eco-friendly.

Life during Omar’s era is oft romanticized. However, trudging up and down those dark, moss covered wine cellar steps could not have been an easy task. I submit to you that there would have been many serious falls with their associated concussions. Imagine instead if they had been able to fetch a bottle of wine during the 30-second commercial time out while watching the Super Bowl. There are real solutions available today to allow that possibility. The long and short of it is to buy good wine, store it properly, and serve it at the right temperature. Your enjoyment of wine will last a life time. I have a feeling Omar did.

For more information see: http://www.idealwinecoolers.com/page/home/index.html

Author: Ronald Senn, VP Ideal Wine Coolers, September 2009

Wine Storage Solutions: Ideal Wine Coolers

belindasenn — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:09:00 +0000

Wine Storage Solutions: Don’t Spoil Your Wine

belindasenn — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 20:54:46 +0000

Wines should be stored away from light. Ultraviolet light (UV), especially with clear bottled wines, will damage your wine. Sparkling wines are even more sensitive to UV rays. Incandescent or sodium vapor lights will have less effect on wine than other light forms. Exposure to light may give wine unpleasant aromas and eventually ruin it. If you cannot keep your wine entirely out of the light, at least keep it tightly wrapped in a cloth or simply put the bottle on its side in a box.

Keeping your wine at the correct temperature is critical to maximizing its value and taste. Wines kept at too high of a temperature will age faster than desired. Wine stored at too cold of a temperature can develop deposits or other sediments in it. Each type of wine has its own desirable temperature range. The ideal temperature for storing wine is 54 to 56 degrees. Keep in mind the ideal storage temperature is not the same as the ideal serving temperature. For example, the ideal serving temperature of red burgundy is 62 to 64 degrees.

Quality wineries use corks to seal their wine. Sealing wine with a cork prevents oxidation. Oxidation is an irreversible process that begins when air contacts the wine. Maintaining the integrity of the cork is paramount to successful wine storage. Humidity of about 70 to 75 percent will keep your cork pliable and prevent shrinkage. Reducing temperature fluctuations will keep the cork from expanding and contracting, which will draw air inside the bottle. Wine should be stored on its side to keep the cork moist from within the bottle. One downfall of using cork is they will have the tendency for strong adjacent smells to permeate them and ultimately affect the taste of the wine.

Fortunately, not all of these pitfalls to wine storage are insurmountable. Manufacturers have developed products to fit anyone’s wine storage and serving needs. Wine cooler and chiller products are available from single-bottle chillers to wine coolers that can store hundreds of bottles of your favorite wine. Do you have limited space? Do not worry, because there are wine cooler products that will fit on your counter top. Specially made front-vented wine coolers are sized just right to incorporate them under your kitchen counter. There are even wine coolers with thermoelectric technology that are eco-friendly.

Wine is becoming an ever-increasing favorite of many people. With over 1000 different wine varieties, the choices, which one has, seem nearly infinite. Buy good wine, store it properly in a wine cooler, serve it at the right temperature, and your enjoyment of wine will last a lifetime.

For more information see: http://www.idealwinecoolers.com

Author: Ronald Senn, VP Ideal Wine Coolers, September 2009