Just a Little More Wining!

There was a pretty interesting wine thread here a couple of months ago:

Just want to wine a bit...

It addressed the subject of drinkable wines priced at $30 per bottle or less.

I am curious about issues concerning storage and aging of wine and thought some of the Diamonds and Tuxedos might have quite a bit of relevant experience and knowledge. I recently had a contractor add a wine cellar to the basement of my Dallas home. It looks cool, with lots of stone, brick, stained wood, and plaster. But I'm not sure exactly what it's supposed to do!

Do certain wines get better with aging at temperatures cooler than normal room temperature? If so, what type wines? For how long, ideally, should they be aged? I did a little googling and found no clear answers. Looks like opinions vary wildly.

I would love to hear your thoughts if you have experienced the joy of drinking properly cellared wines, or if you have expertise in this area.

Thank the Lord! I thought you was starting another Obama bitch fest thread!

Not an issue if you are buying these affordable $30 wines. You buy a case or two and consume them before it is an issue.

Just because you have a wine cellar doesn't mean you need to develop an expensive wine habit.

I'm no expert. I had a wine locker (just what it sounds like, a locked space in a shared cellar) for years and had to have it re-keyed because I realized I didn't have a key. Some wines do need time to age but is it is about protecting from the elements vs. "enchaning" the flavor.

My advice in all things wine/spirits/beer is find "your guy (or gal)" at the local place and seek their advice. Hell if she's cute maybe offer her a couple of bucks to set the thing up for you & try to work your charms on her Seriously, at any decent place that is their job & they are knowledgeable.

I do have a wine cellar; many are rare and noteworthy vintages, and others are cases of my very favorite everyday wines. Do not let price sway you; there are many very nice wines from around the world under 30 dollars. Dont let the wine room intimidate you, it is basically a place to keep your wines out of direct sunlight and tempature changes. I wil keep white wines up to 2 years, some noteable french whites up to 15 years, red wines I will keep cellared for 5 to 20 years. Opinions vary, it is all about what you enjoy, every wine afficienado has their own palette. Keep in mind when drinking red wines, chill your reds for 5 to 10 minutes before opening; red wines are to be served at room tempature, yes, but that was basesd on european room tempatures which were 65 to 70 degrees. In Texas, room tempature is 85 degrees. Enjoy........

Not an issue if you are buying these affordable $30 wines. You buy a case or two and consume them before it is an issue. Originally Posted by atlcomedy

For the $30 and under wines discussed in that previous wine thread, I assume aging is not an issue -- in any event, not a process by which they would improve. I've heard that inexpensive wines should be drunk while young. (Maybe in more than one way!)

But what about the better wines? Could it be true that -- in general -- the better the wine, the more it can improve with proper aging? Or does all this just involve way too much subjectivity?

Just because you have a wine cellar doesn't mean you need to develop an expensive wine habit. Originally Posted by atlcomedy

It's a couple of decades too late for that! But my problem is that I developed that expensive wine habit in restaurants, where bottles can cost up to 3X what you would typically pay in a store. If I can manage to drink enough wine for the rest of my life, I'll save big money!

My advice in all things wine/spirits/beer is find "your guy (or gal)" at the local place and seek their advice. Hell if she's cute maybe offer her a couple of bucks to set the thing up for you & try to work your charms on her Originally Posted by atlcomedy

Good idea! But perhaps I've reached the age that it would take more than a couple of bucks for my charms to work!

Keep in mind when drinking red wines, chill your reds for 5 to 10 minutes before opening; red wines are to be served at room tempature, yes, but that was basesd on european room tempatures which were 65 to 70 degrees. In Texas, room tempature is 85 degrees. Enjoy........ Originally Posted by runswithscissors

I've heard that reds should be served somewhere between typical cellar temperature of 55 degrees F. and room temperature so that makes sense. But an 85 degree room temperature? Good grief! Not in my house. I like it 72 degrees year around. Thank God for foam ICF walls and geothermal heat pumps!

WTF, it was nice of you to take the time to make a contribution to this thread. I was disappointed to see that you couldn't offer us any of your expertise on the subject, but maybe it's just not one with which you're familiar. I recall that you exercise discretion and avoid opining on subjects of which you have limited knowledge. I'm sure everyone who read your posts in the "mortgages underwater" thread noticed that.

most if not all of the wines you see in mass markets, grocery stores, etc, are actually produced to be consumed immediately. Stainless steel fermenting, oak chips for quick flavors, etc. Nothing wrong with that. The better the vineyard , especially what are referred to as single vineyard productions are usually hand produced, and are good for cellaring. Check with a local wine shop and they can usually direct you to wines good for cellaring. Steer clear of the "wine snobs"; I once met a well known french wine producer who stated " you cannot smell the wine if your nose is stuck too far up in the air".

The better the vineyard , especially what are referred to as single vineyard productions are usually hand produced, and are good for cellaring. Check with a local wine shop and they can usually direct you to wines good for cellaring. Originally Posted by runswithscissors

Runswithscissors, thanks for that information. I will try some other area wine shops as well, but I went to Sigel's in Dallas yesterday and was shown a few labels with supposedly good aging potential. The folks there were very helpful.

Steer clear of the "wine snobs"; I once met a well known french wine producer who stated " you cannot smell the wine if your nose is stuck too far up in the air". Originally Posted by runswithscissors

Speaking of smelling and noses in the air, what's up with all that cork-sniffing stuff? A few years ago I was at a dinner with a small number of business partners. One guy made at least a 5-minute production out of the discussion regarding wine selection, and then ostentatiously sniffed the cork for ten seconds or so after the bottle was opened.

Another guy across the table from me sort of smiled and rolled his eyes. "Pure pretension", he told us later, explaining that you can't really tell anything from smelling the cork.

I suppose it might be useful to look at the cork to see whether it disintegrated or got wet all the way through -- but beyond that, does a cork tell you anything?

I suppose it might be useful to look at the cork to see whether it disintegrated or got wet all the way through -- but beyond that, does a cork tell you anything? Originally Posted by CaptainMidnight

Nope, it doesn't. You need to smell the wine to see if it is "corked" but the cork tells you little beyond what you mention.

Speaking of smelling and noses in the air, what's up with all that cork-sniffing stuff? A few years ago I was at a dinner with a small number of business partners. One guy made at least a 5-minute production out of the discussion regarding wine selection, and then ostentatiously sniffed the cork for ten seconds or so after the bottle was opened.

Another guy across the table from me sort of smiled and rolled his eyes. "Pure pretension", he told us later, explaining that you can't really tell anything from smelling the cork.

? Originally Posted by CaptainMidnight

We've all pretty much been to dinner with "that guy"

I tend to just humor him and tell him how brilliant he is but make a mental note. (especially if he's trying to sell me)

...And maybe have a good laugh at his expense later with someone else that witnessed the proceedings

Nope, it doesn't. You need to smell the wine to see if it is "corked" but the cork tells you little beyond what you mention. Originally Posted by discreetgent

(I'll usually defer to someone else, often there is someone at the table eager to be "that guy")

...after all, since we are drinking it, if I'm approving the wine, I'll just taste it...if it is bad you'll know quickly

And if it is bad, have no problem sending it back.