The Cellar: How to Preserve and Store Wine
Friday, January 17, 2014
Steffen Rasch, GoLocalProv Wine Writer
People often ask me how I store and preserve my opened and unopened bottles of wine. Nothing is more frustrating than having good, half-empty bottles of wine go bad, however maneuvering the wine preservation and storage market can be difficult as there are literally thousands of products out there making all kinds of claims.
First things first.
The key to long-term wine storage is to make sure that the bottles are laying down on their sides, out of direct sunlight and that the temperature conditions are as consistent as possible – i.e. avoiding sudden and drastic changes. I’ve read a lot of literature on the topic and have concluded that most experts seem to agree that an ideal storage temperature is anywhere between 55-60 degrees, but that up to 64 degrees is fine also as long as it is consistent. If all you have are wine
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Aesthetically Pleasing: No, Effective: Yes
racks a good rule of thumb is to make sure to place them in a location so the bottles are always cool to the touch. If you are a serious wine enthusiast, or contemplating starting a collection, I highly recommend you ‘invest’ in a wine fridge. Get one that allows you to control the temperature, but do your research and read reviews as there a lot of overpriced units out there.
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When it comes to open bottles of wine don’t feel as if you have to finish it the same day you open it. Most wines can ‘survive’ one day. In fact, a lot of wines, especially richer whites and reds, get better after having been opened the day before. Simply push the cork back into the bottle and pop it in the fridge as the cold temperature slows down oxidation. A great trick that I use to keep wines fresh even longer (up to a week) involves pouring the leftover wine into a used (clean) plastic water bottle. Make sure to minimize the space (air) between the wine and the bottom of the screw cap and keep the wine in the fridge. Every time you pour a glass be sure to squeeze the air out of the bottle prior to closing it, again to minimize air contact. While not very romantic I have to say that I’ve used this trick for years and it works!
Cheers.
Steffen Rasch is a Certified Sommelier and Specialist of Wine. Feel free to email him at [email protected] with any wine-related question or learn about wine in person by signing up for one of his tastings through the Providence Wine Academy .
Related Slideshow: 13 Biggest Food Stories in RI in 2013
Here are the Top 13 Biggest Food Stories of 2013:
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13 Rhody's Best Burger
The culinary experts at Zagat named each state's best burger in its 50 States, 50 Burgers awards, and Providence's Harry's Bar & Burger took the prize in the Ocean State for its sliders. Haven't tried them? Stop in for one… well actually, they come in twos or threes.
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12 James Beard Awards
Two high-profile chefs in Rhode Island, Farmstead's Matt Jennings and Champe Speidel of Persimion in Bristol, were named semi-finalists for the prestigious James Beard Foundation 2013 awards in the category of "Best Chef: Northeast". The James Beard awards are considered by many to be the "Oscars" of the culinary world.
Another Ocean State restaurant, Cook & Brown Public House in Providence, was also named as a semi-finalist for its bar program.
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11 Best Pizza in America
Providence's Al Forno made The Daily Meal's list of the "Best 101 Pizzas in America," coming in at #10 overall (#3 in New England).
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10 Cooking for the Pope
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9 Most Romantic Dining
Three Rhode Island restaurants, Newport's The Spiced Pear and Restaurant Bouchard as well as Basil's of Narragansett, were named by OpenTable in their list of Top 100 “Most Romantic” Restaurants in the US.
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7 #2 Ice Cream City
Providence was named by Travel + Leisure Magazine as the 2nd Best Ice Cream City in America in their July issue. Whether you prefer the great gelato available on Federal Hill, or the hipster favorite PVD Pops ice cream cart, Providence certainly has its finger on the pulse of frozen treats.
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6 Food Trucks
Some argue that the food truck craze started in Providence, with the 1888 establishement of Haven Bros. In 2013, Providence saw the opening of a food truck park on the city's West End.
See Ann + Michael Martini's list of the best food trucks in New England here.
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5 Foolproof Brewing
Rhode Island's newest craft brewery hit the scene in 2013, and they hit the ground running. Nick Garrison caught the brewing bug after getting a home-brew kit for Christmas, and went on to craft the beer for his own wedding. He then teamed up with professional brewer Damase Olsson to start the Foolproof Brewery, which quickly became a favorite among Rhode Islanders.
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4 America's Best Taco
Providence showed off its diverse mixture of high-quality dining options when Olneyville's La Lupita Tacos Mexicanos was named by the Huffington Post as one of The Best Tacos in America in March.
See Ann + Micheal Martini's picks for the best Mexican food in RI here.
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Carolyn's Sakonnet Vineyard
Alex + Ani's Carolyn Rafaelian purchased Sakonnet Vineyards in late 2012. And in 2013, the new ownership released its first wine, Blessed Blend, to positive reviews. A great year kept getting better for the Little Compton vineyard when the Boston Celtics named Carolyn's Sakonnet Vineyards as its official Team Wine.
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1 Health Code Violations
Not all of Rhode Island's food stories in 2013 were good news. In 2013 GoLocalProv went through the health inspection records for Providence-area dining establishments and unveiled a list of the worst offenders.
Two of the restaurants had more than 30 violations each, with many others racking up numerous trangressions each. The violations range from minor observations to the more serious; including cross-contamination, lack of proper food storage, employees not wearing gloves when handling ready-to-eat food, hand washing, or sick employees at work.
See the full list of violators here.
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