Is Your Cellar Stable For Wine Storage?

Melanie Hudson

There are three wine storage golden rules to follow! Wine cellar has to be dark, humid and cold. All of those three conditions are crucial for right aging of your wine. Why is light so damaging for wine? Wine is an organic liquid. And each carbohydrate organic compound like proteins is sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light. What will UV light do to wine? It will cause complex organic molecules in wine to dissolve and they will start to ruin the flavor and the natural aging process of wine. The same effect will excessive sunbathing have on your skin. Ultraviolet light, as a part of sunlight is degrading proteins in our skin. The effects are well known. In extreme cases UV light can cause uncontrollable growth of cell structures leading to skin cancer.


Those who want to buy a ready-made wine cellar unit with integrated cooling and humid control center should also pay attention to the light source provided within. Neon light emits much more UV light than a classical light bulb. It may not make a difference for wine bottles that will be consumed within a year. But for storage of wine bottles that can age for centuries, those short periods of UV exposures within 10 or more years, quickly sum up.


Why should you pay attention to humidity in your wine cellar? Humidity is important for storing wine bottles traditionally sealed with cork. Despite the fact that there are many other wine sealing materials on the market, you will not find a serious top wine producer using anything other than a cork. What is the relationship between the cork and the humidity? The cork has to be in regular touch with humidity on both sides. That means the inner side, reaching into the bottle has to be in contact with the wine (that is why wine cellar storage racks will store wine horizontally), the outer side of the cork has to be in environment humid enough to prevent cork from drying. A dry cork becomes porous and the air starts to leak into the bottle, spoiling the wine. How will you know if you cellar is humid enough? Relative humidity in a room can be measured with humidity meters called hydrometers. Those are really cheap and easy to buy in any wine storage accessories store. What is humidity important for a perfect wine aging process? According to French wine experts and scientist, perfect humidity level of a wine storage cellar lays between 60-70%. But more than humidity levels in a cellar, the quality of cork itself is the crucial factor in preventing the wine from leaking or from spoiling.


If you ask any wine expert on the world which from those three golden rules plays the most important role in fine wine aging, they would unanimously say-The Temperature. The best temperature for wine storage is traditionally believed to be 55°F or 13°C. Little research has been made to discover why exactly that temperature. But more than the temperature itself, it is important not to let the temperature fluctuate for more than 1 degree. Quality wine needs stable conditions to gradually develop its best aroma, taste and color.


About the Author
For more on special wine cellar equipment visit wine-storage-racks.com

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Home Beer Brewing Success

Submitted by: Paul P.

Home Beer Brewing is becoming an increasingly popular hobby for men and women of all ages. The ever increasing price of drinks at bars and clubs coupled with a greater interest in entertaining at home have made it increasingly popular.

So yes you can start home beer brewing! However it dos not have to be a solitary occupation locked away in the cellar or shed for hour after hour. As well as being a hobby for the individual it can also be a family project through which you introduce members of the family to alcohol and the need to be responsible with it. Some people do not understand why people make their own beer. They wander why they want the all the mess and clutter associated with creating their own brew. They believe that it is far easier to simply go to the store and get what they want when they want beer. However, it is not simply about the convenience or the cost of the beer stores.

The actual reason why a lot of people have started home beer brewing is because they think it is both enjoyable and exciting. This is a way for them to participate in hobby that they like and that keeps them busy. Some people create their own brew just because they have never tried it before and now the proliferation of Home Beer Brewing Kits and other resources provide them with the opportunity relatively cheaply.

It is also a way for individuals to reconnect with their ancestors and family history. There are so many different recipes for beer, not only held by the breweries, but that have also been handed down through different families. They are using the recipes that their ancestors used and seeing if they can do what they did, In the process they are discovering that they can create great tasting beer. Many of the recipes are easy to follow and have an ingredient list that is easy to find. There are different things that people can buy to make their beer making experience more fun.

With the right kit and the best beer-making recipe, it has come within the reach of many more people and anyone can try making great tasting beer. Even if it is a one shot thing, it will be worth seeing if you can create a beer that is just as good as the beer that is purchased in the store. You can create anything with the home beer brewing supplies that you can now find in the store.

Buying the kits to brew your beer is going to make it easier for a lot of people to do. You can get everything that you need with this kit and it will make your beer brewing easier. Finding these kits will make the beer brewing adventure even more fun for someone that has not had the opportunity to try making their own beer yet.

Finding out about making your own beer is easy. You can go online and get all the facts and the tips that you need to get started on making your own beer. There are many tips and pieces of advice that you can use when you start your new hobby of making your own beer and I hope you will enjoy your own beer!

About Author: Paul Duxbury writes extensively on Home Beer Brewing and on Beers and Beer Accessories

Article Source: ArticlesAlley.com


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Eggplant Wine

Photo by: Robyn Gallagher

* 4 lbs eggplant
* 2-1/2 lbs granulated sugar
* 1/2 oz citric acid
* 1/4 tsp tannin
* water to make 1 gallon
* 1 tsp yeast nutrient
* wine yeast

Boil 1 gallon of water

Thinly slice the eggplant.

Put sliced eggplant and sugar in primary fermenter

Pour boiling water over contents in primary fermenter

Allow to cool to room temperature

Add remaining ingredients and cover with clean cloth.

Ferment 3 days

Strain liquid into secondary fermenter

Rack every 30 days until wine clears

Stabilize and rack into bottles




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The Best Book About Wine

I was busy working on a blog post last Friday, when I heard a large thud outside my door. Not knowing if it was two cars colliding or a someone falling on my steps, I got up to take a look. To my surprise, my copy of Wine had arrived. Wine is published by Langenschedit Publishing Group.

This book is awesome!!! A huge 928 pages full of wine info from around the world. Very well written, but what struck me the most was the maps and pictures. They are just plain excellent.

The tips are very informative and will really help those just starting out in the wonderful world of wine.

Here's a little more from the publisher:

This abundantly illustrated book is an atlas, reference work and buying guide to the world of wine. Following a classic organization, readers are introduced to the history of wine, wine production, wine cellars and the enjoyment of wine. The reader is then invited on a journey through all the wine growing countries and regions of the world. Expert authors introduce each area, illustrated with detailed maps, including Canada, Japan and China. Newcomers to the passion of wine will find Wine an invaluable resource to deciphering the vast wine offerings around the world while wine aficionados will savor browsing through this gorgeous volume and discovering new wines and regions.

Features

• More than 1,200 full-color illustrations and photographs


• 150 detailed maps of the world’s wine growing countries and regions


• Numerous producer tips that convey highly useful recommendations


• Updated select producers, tables, maps and photographs


• New and extensive information on southern and eastern Europe and the new European countries


• Information on new wine growing countries and areas around the world

If you need to find a present for that special wine person, this should be the present that you buy.









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