Choosing the wines to store in your wine cellar Philippines wine supplier Manila wine shop talks about starting a wine cellar

December 18, 2010

That a few wines can endure for decades, or even more than a century, I find amazing. What other food or beverage can match this?

Yet, in just two decades, the wine universe has morphed from a deep-cellar mentality to a drink-me-now approach. The impetus for this was the gradual shift in consumer tastes to fruit-forward, New World wines rather than traditional heavily oaked European reds.

Fuelling it as well was the increased mobility of the working population, switching jobs and homes more rapidly than ever before. The idea of a huge, single, home wine cellar got shaken up and changed forever in the process.

The rules of cellaring wines have not changed, whether you dwell in a house, a condo or an apartment. Of course, these varied venues present different challenges to storing wine.

The ideal climate is cool and dark. Major shifts from cold to hot accelerate the demise of a wine, so a constant temperature is vital. Light, both natural and artificial, also can shorten a wine’s lifespan.

For apartment dwellers or condo owners, wine storage can be a challenge. Closets are subject to temperature fluctuations (the door opening and closing). Storing wine under a sink is a big no-no, due to hot and cold running water overhead and often a dishwasher alongside. Avoid storing wines near heat grates or radiators.

My retired condo friends, who once owned lavish home wine cellars in the recesses of their basements, now store their wines in temperature controlled, glass-fronted wine storage units. These come in all sizes and qualities. They easily fit into a dining room or modern kitchen.

For those with houses, the basement is best. I store my wines in a tiny room, with brick walls on three sides, and an accordion door I can adjust to let in some heat in winter and during torrid days of summer, some of the air conditioning. The wines that can stand to age are good for 20 years or more.

When I first set up this cellar 17 years ago, it was reserved mostly for monster reds, things like First Growths from Bordeaux, fine old Riojas, ancient ports, and such Italian stallions as Super Tuscans or Barbarescos. In those days the great reds were steeped in oak, and not great to drink young. As they aged, the tannins mellowed and the fruit came into balance until they were optimally drinkable.

This is no doubt how the notion that a wine improved with age came into play. Most wines, however, do not improve with age, but they do slowly develop into something different. For better or worse.

Gone are the days when I stored Château Latour and Haut-Brion in my cellar. Why? They rocketed to global cult investor status and prices shot into the hundreds of dollars. I haven’t been able to afford them for more than a decade. They priced themselves out of my existence.

Nowadays, my cellar is reserved for killer Aussie reds, great mid-range California reds, and a few hand-picked Spanish and Italian reds that overachieve for their price. So instead of putting wines into my cellar to last 30 years or more, the timeline is more like a decade at most. This reflects the shift to fruity wines globally. My emphasis is great value for under $30 a bottle.

Which wines should go into the cellar rather than down your throat? The French are still producing lots of highly oaked Bordeaux reds and I seek out great value from lesser known producers to lay away. Aussie and Lotusland reds in the $18 to $50 range can easily endure for a decade or more. What you cellar depends on the intensity of the tannins that pucker up your mouth – i.e., your taste buds determine whether to put them out of their misery now, or later.

French red Burgundies (a.k.a. pinot noir) used to be a great cellar favourite, but most collectors wait too long before drinking them and they wind up being oxidized. Some Rhône reds from noted producers (Jaboulet, Guigal) can still endure up to 20 years with impunity. For all other premium reds, a decade is best.

When I find a fabulous red, I will buy six bottles. Then I consume one every six months or so. This seems to work well for most reds in the premium range.

For dirt cheap reds, the kind which get us through the work week, it’s best to drink them soon, or at least in the first year or so. Yes, some can last two to four years, but they will not necessarily improve. Save cellar space for the great stuff. As for $10 white wines, it’s better to quaff them quickly.

What about premium white wines? Are any worth cellaring? Yes, some German, Alsatian and Austrian rieslings, especially those with higher residual sugar, can last a decade or more. Canadian icewines easily go 12 years or longer. French Sauternes or Barsacs also are great keepers, the ones from the best vintages, for many decades. And a few unoaked Aussie semillons can endure a decade or more.

Chardonnay is my ongoing cellar disappointment. I used to save the highly oaked great ones in the cellar but their shelf life really maxes out at about four years, especially if you want to preserve some of the freshness of the fruit. They oxidize quite quickly.

What about premium New Zealand sauvignon blanc? I tasted eight vintages of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc with its maker, Kevin Judd, and was amazed at the flavour evolution: from fresh nettles and gooseberry, to apple, then a pear profile, then to apricot and other more evolved pekoe tea flavours. All were delicious but very different from one another. So some wines we drink too soon!

Amassing a great wine cellar can be a serious business. It’s an investment in the tasting future. But bear in mind it should also be fun, an ongoing voyage of sensual discovery.

Source: http://www.thestar.com/living/food/article/745417–which-wine-to-cellar-and-which-to-drink

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