What is better than a mini road trip with family or friends and experiencing some new cellar doors, new wines and having a few laughs along the way? With so many wine regions accessible from Adelaide it’s hard not to venture out over the weekend. Every cellar door visit it’s an opportunity to extend your wine knowledge and add something special to your personal cellar. Like most people I often purchase a token bottle from most cellar doors, but when I really enjoy a particular wine I often purchase two or three bottles, one to drink straight away (often with dinner that night) and a few bottles to store and age.
One of the perks of working in the industry is having a rather extensive cellar at my fingertips. On the downside, I’ve misplaced a few bottles and forgotten about others that have now spoiled. I’ve soon learnt a few tips to arrange the perfect cellar.
Consolidate
You don’t need to have a fancy underground cellar at Medindie or Springfield but you do need to keep all your wines in one place.
We can all dream over this cellar. Picture by Dodaj komentarz.
Invest
Invest in some simple Bordeaux wine racks (it’s worth it). These aren’t expensive and it allows you to clearly see what wines you have. I’ve personally left wines in cartons and within no time had forgotten what vintages and varietals they were.
If you live in Adelaide, I highly suggest the guys at THE WINE RACK SHOP.
Location
It’s vital that you store your wines (or new wine rack) in the right place. Cellaring wines is about correct storage conditions. Select a place with no direct sunlight, humidity or vibrations. These are hazardous for wines. If you live in a two-story house – often under the staircase is a great location. Avoid storing wines in laundries.
Upgrade your Harry Potter, you can really utilize the space better!
Temperatures
Wines should be stored in temperatures between 10° – 15°C. Temperature fluctuation can be another detrimental hazard for wine. Note – the cooler the wine is stored, the slower the wine will develop. The warmer the wine is stored, the faster the wine will mature.
Arrangement
Create a logical storage system. Even a simple arrangement and separation of sparkling, whites and reds. This will allow you to visually monitor the quantity of white wines that you own so there are no nasty surprises like finding back vintaged whites that were meant to be drunk whilst young and vibrant. I suggest purchasing wine tags. You can write the vintage and varietal or even include a drink before date. Once again, it’s a simple visual that is guaranteed to help. I know a few wine sommeliers who have apps (or intense excel spreadsheets) with strict guidelines on what to drink and when to drink it…
Review
Monitor and enjoy. Keep an eye on the wines that you’ve got. This will help you stock up on your favourites when they get low and allows you to see what varietals that you’re lacking. No Cabernet Malbec from Clare? I know of an exceptional drop from Jeanneret…
I hope these tips help you on your wine journey.
Happy cellaring!