Whenever I set foot in home improvement stores these days I seem to run across these 50 bottle wine "cellars". For a grape juice junkie like me that's the equivalent of a six pack cooler for beer. In a week I'd have one of those things stuffed to the gills. Maybe their purpose is modular storage similar to CD holders of old where you just keep buying and filling them. Anyway, the concept is sound and if it gets people interested in long term aging of wine, so be it.
Most of the wine (90%) made today is meant to be drunk within the first 12 months. That's right campers, buy 'em and drink 'em. That's not to say that any bottle wouldn't benefit from 4-6 months in the cellar. I must back up here and explain the generic term "Cellar". In my mind a cellar is an area of your house that maintains a constant temperature, has no light, and as little vibration as possible. Temperature need not be 55 degrees Fahrenheit although that would be preferred. Wine hates extremes. Leaving any bottle at 80+ degrees for any extended period of time will cook it. If you've never tasted heat damaged wine, buy 2 bottles, put one in a cool place for 3 months and the other in your garage in the summer for the same amount of time and see if there's a difference. I've been in houses that have beautiful wine cellars with tasting tables and fancy racking, real showplaces. I've also had great old bottles come from a cool corner of someone's basement that were perfect.
Most of the wines tasted for the purpose of this blog will be those I deem ready for drinking. I'll include whatever I'm currently drinking but will make a special effort to find good, inexpensive juice. My personal cellar is loaded with everything under the sun. I've tried to do some planning (admittedly as little as possible) to have wine on hand for Bar Mitzvahs, weddings and the like. Those bottles were chosen for specific vintages representing birth and wedding years and will be dragged out on special occasions. Away from that I've tried to assure myself of having mature wine in a range of 1 to 50 years from now. I may not have teeth at the latter point but I'll certainly have a straw!
Tasting note:
Sottimano Dolcetto d'Alba Bric del Salto 2005-Piedmont Italy
Please make a special effort to pair this with the proper food! I love Sottimano's house style. His Barbaresco's are some of my personal favorites. This Dolcetto needs food with acid to balance the tannins. Something simple like pasta with tomato sauce would work amazingly well.
the acid in the tomatoes will help flesh out the wine and turn this $12 bottle into something special. I've had this open for 90 minutes and served in a Ravenscroft Grand Cru Burgundy glass.
The color is a deep violet. Cherries and blackberries on the nose. Dolcetto by nature is a simple wine. This example is elegant with a fresh, clean finish. Highly recommended.
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2 comments:
so head groupie what would recommend to someone who wanted to start saving wine but do not have a spot in the house that maintains the desired constant temperature & humidity, without remodeling an entire room?
Find a dark, cool, spot in the basement. If temps vary more than 10 degrees a year, be prepared to drink your wine sooner rather than later.
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