41
A WINE CELLAR - WHAT FOR?
Don't forget that wine is a passion.
Complex - it evolves very slowly, peacefully!
It needs a combination of many conditions in order to blossom and quietly reach its summit.
The permanence of these conditions is crucial!
To start, it is necessary to make the distinction between ageing temperatures, preservation temperatures
and tasting temperatures.
The 5 golden rules to make this distinction are:
The ageing temperature: designates a range of temperatures between 10 and 14°C ; ideally, around 12°C,
whatever the type of wine to be preserved and aged. But, more than the levels, it is the constancy of the
temperature during the ageing period which will allow the wine to fully blossom. Therefore, it is important to
avoid any brutal thermal shock.
Humidity: the bottles' cork must be kept permanently humid in order to remain hermetic.
At a persistent relative humidity below 50 %, the bottles' cork dries out and the wine flows and oxidizes.
At a persistent relative humidity above 80 %, mildew and mould may appear and labels may get unstuck.
Odors/ventilation: wine breaths through its cork. In the constant proximity of odors, wine denatures.
Vibrations: vibrations cause wine fatigue and disturb its evolution. This is why it is crucial to keep the wine
safe from any movement.
Light: light increases the oxidation-reduction potential of wine, accelerating its ageing. This is why it is
important to offer it true protective darkness.
In addition, to all this, a basic concept has to be considered:
It's absurd to preserve a wine with loving care for years, and then "kill" it by serving it at an inappropriate
temperature. When served too cold, a wine's aromas are anaesthetized and its defects are hidden. When
served too warm, it will become unbalanced by too much alcohol.
The serving temperature is the range of temperatures at which a wine should be served and consumed :
from 7°C for "liquoreux" wines up to 18°C for red tannic vintage wines.
It is important that these conditions be permanently satisfied!
Let's recapitulate your needs which led to your choice :
Do you purchase young wines and lovingly let them age? You are in the domain of ageing!
Do you purchase wines and champagnes close to their summit to have those near at hand and so be able
to savor their rich aromas at the right temperature? You must follow a multi-purpose approach, with
preservation and conditioning to temperature!
Do you wish to consume your "cru" wines at the right temperature? A conditioning wine cellar will be
really appropriate for you (also called a wine serving temperature cellar).
