Wine’s Kryptonite

BY RICCARDO TARABELSI

Do you have any enemies? A nemesis? What would you consider your kryptonite? Do you know what happens to wine when it is paired with its kryptonite? Yes, that’s right, it loses its super powers. Wine becomes vinegar. What a pity. Wine is a living, breathing entity that matures if it is the right “kind” of wine, i.e. certain varietals will age and some will not, and if it is stored properly. Don’t subject your wine to its four archrivals, and you’ll be happy when you open it. Temperature, Humidity, Light, and Vibration. No, these are not the control settings on my bed; these are the four enemies of wine. And without proper care and attention, your wine will succumb to these external factors when stored in your cellar.

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Unlike most food and drink, wine can improve for years. Of course, not all wines are meant to be aged. Most of the wines of the world are meant to be drunk young while they still possess their youth and freshness. Most of the wines that are destined to the cellar are red. Very few white wines need time to mature. For this reason, most white wines are purchased on an as needed South Dakota's delightfully unique winery

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Hours: Thursday through Monday: Noon - 6pm 605-582-6471 | wildeprairiewinery.com | 48052 259th St. | Brandon, SD

Directions: From I-90 take exit 406 at Brandon, go 1 ½ miles North on Highway 11, then West on 259th Street for 1 ½ miles to our winery.

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basis. With that said, there’s no doubt that all wine will benefit from even a few days rest after bringing it home.

There are many reasons for starting a cellar. At the top of the list is convenience. With a well-stocked cellar, you can be assured of having the right wine at the right time. It is also fun to analyze a wine as it matures, to make note of the subtle changes in its taste and structure. By having the wine in your cellar, you can drink it after it has been allowed to reach its maturity and gain the maximum benefit from it.

For a wine lover, a cellar is a necessity. Fine wines are worth paying extra for only if you can store and eventually serve them in good condition. Rarely are wine cellars a part of the standard blueprint. So finding the appropriate place to store wine is an issue for almost everyone. A little ingenuity may be required. The principles behind storing wine are not complex, difficult to understand, or necessarily difficult to achieve. And if you can’t achieve them all, some of them are better than none.

Let’s begin with the ideal. From here, you can then try to approach the ideal as close as you are able. You’re looking to achieve balance and consistency.

Wine is alive. As such it reacts either positively or negatively to its environment. How it is treated will determine how fast or slow it will age and how it will turn out in the end. Essentially, wine needs to be kept in a clean, dark, damp place with good ventilation, where it can be stored vibration free at a constant temperature. Temperature

Temperature is the most important factor. The optimum temperature is 50 to 55°F (10-12°C). However, any constant temperature within 40-65°F (5-18°C) will do. More important than the actual temperature is the degree and rapidity of fluctuation the wine is subjected to. A slow change of temperature of ten or so degrees between winter and summer is not a big problem. But this kind of fluctuation on a daily or weekly basis will cause damage to your wines and age them prematurely. You will notice damage of this nature from the sticky deposit that often forms around the capsule. In time, as the wine expands and contracts, it will damage the integrity of the cork. When this happens, minute quantities of wine may make its way alongside the cork possibly even allowing oxygen to seep back in.

Wines kept at too high a temperature will age faster than wines kept at a cold temperature. Theoretically, wines kept at 68°F will age twice as fast as those kept at 50°F. At 55°F, wines will age so slowly – with ultimately greater complexity – that you will never have to worry about them. This is not to say the colder the better. Wine that is stored too cold can develop deposits or other suspensions in the wine. Finally, keep in mind that white wines are affected far more by temperature problems than red wines.

Humidity

Moderate humidity is important to keep the corks in good resilient condition and thereby preventing them from shrinking. A relative humidity of 50-80% is the acceptable range, but about 70% is recommended. Excessive humidity will not harm the wine but will cause the labels and any other paper products – like cardboard boxes – you have in the cellar to rot. Insufficient humidity may cause the corks to dry out, lose their elasticity, and thereby allow air to get into the bottle. Light

Keep your wine in the dark. Light will prematurely age a bottle of wine. Naturally, clear bottles are most susceptible to this problem, but ultraviolet light will penetrate even dark colored glass. Ultraviolet light may give a wine unpleasant aromas and ruin it. Extra care should be given to sparkling wines as they are more sensitive to light than other wines. It should be noted too, that incandescent or sodium vapor lights are better for a cellar that fluorescent lighting.

Vibration

Constant vibration from machinery or a nearby road disturbs a red wine’s sediment and can be harmful to all wine. This is not commonly a problem in the average home as dangerous extremes are rare and obvious. It should be remembered that excessive sound creates vibrations that may be harmful as well. Wines should be stored in such a way that you don’t have to move them around to get at a particular bottle. Once a wine is laid down, it should stay there until it is opened.

Speaking of laying down, I’ve got a bottle waiting to be stored properly in my basement, next to an exterior wall, in the dark, with average humidity, and in a rack without vibration. I think I’ve got all my bases covered… do you? Carpe Vino!

Riccardo has been a wine writer for etc for her for the last 18 years. He is celebrating his 24th wedding anniversary this month with his wife Marybeth. They have three boys, Dante, Berent, and Jaxon. Riccardo and Marybeth own R Wine Bar & Kitchen on the East Bank of Downtown Sioux Falls. Contact Riccardo at riccardo@rwinebar.com.