Did You Know? ... About Wine Corks

There are lots of different options for wine "corks." Winemakers choose based on a variety of reasons, but they all serve the same basic function: to keep the wine sealed in the bottle, and protected from air, until it gets to your table.

A special cork: glass with the wineries logo on top.

• Natural Cork
• Artificial Cork
• Screw Tops
• Miscellaneous, including glass

There has been much discussion by wine consumers about screw top bottles in recent years. Many feel these wines are less desirable, that the screw top indicates a cheaper wine. Not so. For the vast majority of wines produced around the world, only a very few are meant to be stored long term. Those meant for storage need a cork for optimal aging. The rest of the wines, meant for immediate consumption, do just fine with a screw top. Not to mention that screw tops are much more eco friendly.

Did You Know?... About Wine Bottles

With modern considerations about the environmental impact of wine, some manufacturers are starting to address the issue of glass wine bottles. While glass can be recycled, the fact is that the glass alone makes up 40% of the shipping weight of a bottle of wine.

There is long association between boxed wine and cheap quality, but some producers are hoping to overcome that, to address packaging issues. Bag-in-box technologies are cheaper to produce than glass bottles, weigh considerably less, and stack easier for transport and storage.  The seals involved can maintain freshness in young wines. On the other hand, the very fact that they are so well sealed means that they will not allow the minimal air infiltration needed to age a high quality wine over time (meaning, wines in boxes cannot be cellared). Most vintners would agree that the quality wines still need the glass; the use of bag-in-box technology is appropriate for wine meant to be consumed shortly after bottling.

How-to... Store Wine

People store wine for a variety of reasons. Maybe we found a wine we loved on a wine tour, and bought a case. Maybe friends brought too many bottles for a housewarming party. And maybe we invested in some age worthy wines, and they need to be "cellared." While the last one requires a bit more effort, especially for those of us in cramped NYC living spaces, there are a couple of simple rules anyone can follow, to help preserve their wine.

• Store bottles on their side
• Store wine in a cool, dark place

The most important thing to remember about storing your wine is its position. To preserve your wine, you need to store it on its side. This keeps the cork from drying out and allowing too much air to get into the bottle, oxidizing the wine.

Ideally, wine should be stored at cool temperatures, around 55 degrees Fahrenheit, out of direct light. Too much heat will “cook” a wine, and too much sunlight or direct artificial light will change the flavors. If you are unable to store it in a cool location, it should at least be protected from fluctuations in temperature. This means you should avoid storing it on top of your refrigerator, where the heat rising from the motor will swing the temperature of your wine frequently.

Most wine made today is meant to be consumed right away, within a year or two of when it was released. Of the finer quality wines, very few whites are meant to be aged, though some of the heavy bodied white wines can improve with age. Strong, tannic reds can age for several years, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

Since many people don’t have access to temperature controlled cellar spaces to store their wine collections, wine fridges make an excellent alternative. A small under-counter wine cooler can easily store 30 to 40 bottles at optimal temperatures and humidity.

For those that have the room and the space, a wine cellar can be a thing of beauty. Racks of wine bottles and cases in a finely crafted stone grotto, with its own tasting room is something we can all strive for, but for now I think I will have to just grab a bottle from the rack on the wall, and enjoy what I have.