Storing Wine for the Right Time to Taste

by Frank Mangio
“No wine before its time” is a truthful quote that has lived through the ages and has served wine lovers well in their quest for vintage-flavored wines. Certainly there are many professional storage companies out there that would be happy to store your best cases of cab for a hefty price, but I will pass on that and instead concentrate on home cellaring and storage.

First, here’s why you need to wait for the right time, especially for reds with strong bodies like: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah/Shiraz, Cabernet Franc, Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Malbec, Merlot and a countless array of blends. They need time to mature. Tannins need to soften and mix into the harmony of tastes provided by the fruit, sugar and alcohol.

Whether it be a small rack on the floor of the dining room, a temperature-controlled cooler that holds 20 to 200, or a room with hundreds of precisely crafted racks with a tasting table, some rules apply for all.

However many bottles are in your collection and whatever the quality and value, keep a record of the date of purchase, cost of each bottle and where it was purchased. I always rank each wine with a simple but effective 1 to 5 (bad to excellent ) ranking, adding to my core list of wines that I love.

Store wine on its side. That way the cork does not dry out (assuming it has a cork top.)

Keep wine at a consistent temperature, ideally about 55 degrees when storing, but don’t be concerned if it is “room temperature” ( 72 degrees). What matters is the temperature is virtually the same day to day.

Keep your wine out of direct sun which can push up the temperature especially in an “afternoon” setting. The stages of maturity are accelerated and are rushed through to a sour state, turning it into cooking wine.

The final rule is really meant for breaking and is the most controversial. When is a wine that’s been stored ready to drink? Wine lovers can debate this for hours. I have let more than a few wines sit too long, only to open them and shriek in disgust at the sour, vinegar-like taste.

Most red wines start out with a tight berry-like flavor, then over the years become velvety soft and more complex to the taste. It’s like some magical mystery moment when the wine becomes perfectly balanced. I personally gauge that moment as five years after the vintage or harvest year on the label. But if you must…it’s not going to hurt if you drink it when you buy it.

So You Want to Own a Vineyard
Over the years I have talked to a ton of owner/operators of vineyards and wineries about their decision to get into the wine business as growers and bottlers. A good number came from families that had been doing this for generations and in far away European countries. More than a few have come from careers that have been as far from farming as you can get, especially the technology and engineering industries.

Most of the reaction I got from that subject is “I wanted to do something I love.” Then, when the day to day operations are brought up, I found that it is a consuming and expensive love.

Recently the Wall Street Journal found a couple who were willing to lay it out for readers. They have a 38 acre tract near Santa Barbara that they bought in 2004 for 1.5 million, including a tiny “fixer upper” house. When they planted their vines, they soon found out that capital improvements on things like a well for irrigation sopped up many more hundreds of thousands of dollars. By their account, maintaining the vineyard takes upwards of $8,000. an acre annually.

The typical yield of grapes is about 2 to 4 tons per acre, which they can sell for about $4,000. per ton to neighboring wineries. They plant mostly Pinot Noir which is in high demand, as long as the harvest is kind to them. Unfortunately, the ’08 harvest was plagued by frost early on and almost wiped out their crop. They only harvested 3 ½ tons total. In this business, as small operators, they have to wait until somebody else comes along that wants to “do something I love,” and buys them out at a handsome profit. In the meantime, they don’t drop their day jobs.

Wine Bytes
Bacchus Wine Market & Tasting Room downtown San Diego has an Italian Wine Tasting, Fri. Jan. 22 from 4 to 8:30pm . You will be tasting Montepulciano, Gargenaga and other lesser known varietals. Cost is $15. Call 619-236-0005.

Vino 100 in San Marcos presents its Blind Tasting fun on Fri. and Sat. Jan. 22 and 23 from 5 to 9pm . Fee is $10. pp. Details at 760-591-9113.

Wilson Creek in Temecula Wine Country is hosting a Slow Foods Charity Dinner Sat. Jan. 23 from 6 to 8pm . Food is local and sustainable from 5 wineries. $125. ea. RSVP at 951-296-7427.

Meritage Wine Market in Encinitas has a special Women of Bordeaux Wine Dinner on Thurs. Jan . 28 at the Fairbanks Ranch Country Club, highlighting the exceptional 2006 vintage of French wines. Five women winemakers will appear. Get pricing and time by calling 760-479-2500.