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Wine Making and Collecting |
How is wine made The first stage in the wine making process is to crush
the grapes. In days gone by the grapes would be loaded into a large vat and the
wine maker's would gently tread on them to break the grapes' skins to release
the juice.
Nowadays this procedure is almost invariably carried out using a machine called,
unsurprisingly, a crusher.
In the case of white wines, after crushing, the juice is separated immediately
from the pulp of skins and stalks and fermentation commences.
When making red (and rosé) wines, the juice is allowed to remain in
contact with the crushed pulp for a while to add color, body and flavor to the
'must' (the juice to be fermented).
Most modern wines are fermented at a relatively low temperature (around 20° C),
which results in wine with a fruity character. White wines are commonly made in
large, cooled, stainless steel containers but some better quality wines are
fermented in oak casks or, alternatively, oak chippings may be added to the
must.
Red and rosé wines are usually produced in stainless steel vats or, sometimes,
in oak. When the fermenting wine has reached the required color intensity, the
liquid is drawn from the vessel, leaving behind the crushed skins and stalks.
Before bottling, wines from different batches may be blended together and
matured. Depending on the type of wine, the length of this maturation process
can be measured in anything from days to years.
If an "oaks" flavor is desired then the wine can be matured in oak barrels. New
oak or old oak barrels can be used depending on the final flavor required.
Even after bottling, the flavor of some quality wines will continue to
evolve, albeit at a slower rate. However nowadays, most wines, even expensive
wines, are ready for drinking soon after bottling.
Review on how to be a wine collector Some people collect wine for money…and some
people collect wine because they have a passion for wine. Irregardless of
whether you’re collecting wine for profit or for pleasure, collecting wine
requires some investment. Enjoying wine is a completely different thing from
collecting wine, bear this in mind.
When it comes to collecting wine, one of the most important thing to consider is
where you’re going to keep the wine. A substantial portion of your investment
towards your wine collection hobby is in ensuring that there’s a suitable place
to store your wine. The motive is to ensure that the wine collection will
increase in value, not decrease. Believe it or not, the storage and the way the
wine is kept make a world of difference.
Wine that is kept, collected and protected in suitable condition will age nicely
and will turn into vintage wines. However, if your wine collection is not
properly cared for, well, you’ll know. The quality of the wine collection will
deteriorate and a wine expert will be able to tell that your wine has been
ill-treated.
First of all, do extensive research on the many different types of wines there
are in the market. Some wines are meant to be kept and stored over a long period
of time, some are not. Books on wine collection should be bought and if you’re
at all serious about wine collection, spend some time reading through them and
understand the different types of wines and the way that they should be kept. If
keeping and reading books on wine is not your ‘glass of wine’, you can do your
research on the internet. Either way, there’s a wealth of information on wine
that you can find. Explore, absorb and remember.
Once you understand the way each type of wine should be kept, it’s time
for you to design and construct the place where your wine is to be kept. This
depends on the kind of wine you intend to keep there, of course.
And after you’ve built your wine ‘cellar’ (bear in mind, sometimes, wine cellars
are not necessarily built in cellars), you should start purchasing wine; wine
that you like. One basic thing to remember is that wine is differentiated with
the provenance of the vintage. The better the storage, the better the quality.
The better the quality, the higher the price. Before you buy wine, ask the
seller for an authentic certificate. This may sound so trivial but it’s
important if you want to know and be sure that you’re purchasing high quality
wine. This is especially important if you’re making a bulk purchase of the wine.
In collecting wine, you would want to strive for a balance between New
Age wine from Australia and Chile and with Old World Wine from Europe. Bear in
mind that ready-to-drink wine is not suitable for long-term safekeeping. Dessert
wine is also best opened and consumed within a short period of time. Know the
difference before you start collecting wine.
Review of how to store wines. Having invested possibly hundreds of dollars in
your latest bottle of vintage wine (ah well, we can but dream), the next
important decision is where to store this prized possession?
The main issue when it comes to storing wine is that it needs to be maintained
at a cool temperature of between 12 and 16 degrees Celsius. Shoved under the bed
won't do.
Many modern wines do not need to be aged over a great period of time; therefore
extensive cellars are often unnecessary. Having said this, if you have the time,
space and resource to excavate a cellar, your wine will surely benefit. A
purpose built cellar is not normally an option for most households and so
suitable alternatives must be explored.
Ideal areas for storage include a corner of a garage, garden shed, an unused
fireplace or a cupboard that is against an outside wall.
Wherever you choose to store your wine, a few basic criteria are worth
keeping in mind.
Choose an area that is less likely to be subjected to fluctuating temperatures
caused by household heating systems.
Wines benefit from being kept in dark conditions. Although this is not always
practical, wine should certainly be stored in an area that is not exposed it to
direct sunlight.
As a final point, always store your wine bottles on their side. Corks are
designed to be kept moist, so that they remain airtight and do not crumble when
a corkscrew is inserted.
Bear in mind that some wines do not benefit from being stored at all. If you
have poor or no storage facilities available, consider purchasing wine that
matures quickly such as most white wines or new technology reds or, possibly, a
new Beaujolais.
Move wine as little as possible once it has been placed in storage,
unless of course it is being moved into a glass!
If you have a particularly special wine collection, it may be worth engaging a
specialist company to store your wine for you (Oops, I'm dreaming again). Good
storage has been recognized as vital for many wines and as such, many companies
now provide storage facilities. Of course, this does not come cheap and is best
reserved for those very special bottles or for those experts who are considering
selling their wine on, at a future date. |
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