STORAGE
The ideal conditions for storing your wine are:
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AGING
Over time, your wine will get smoother and dryer with age. Under proper storage conditions, your wine could last anywhere from 1 to 3 years depending on the type of wine you make.
The longer you leave the wine to age, the more you will be able to enjoy it at it’s full potential. In the end, it is really up to you. |
DECANTING
Decanting is an important, but often overlooked step in the enjoyment of a good bottle of red wine. This is the process in which the wine is poured from it’s original bottle into a decanter (usually glass or crystal). Decanting serves two functions:
1). It will expose the wine to oxygen, which will help to get ride of any “youngness” in the wine. This will make the wine taste softer.
NOTE- If you don’t decant your wine, letting the bottle sit uncorked for at least an hour will help.
2). Some times sediment will form in a bottle of wine for a variety of reasons. Decanting your wine allows you to leave the sediment in the original bottle. Sediment is due to improper storage (too hot or too cold). When a red wine gets too cold the pigments will bond together to form sediment (this is good sediment). Unfortunately, when a wine gets too hot, it will go bad (this is a bad sediment).
NOTE- If small clear crystals or “wine diamonds” form in your wine, this is a good thing. This is the wine trying to make itself dryer over time.
1). It will expose the wine to oxygen, which will help to get ride of any “youngness” in the wine. This will make the wine taste softer.
NOTE- If you don’t decant your wine, letting the bottle sit uncorked for at least an hour will help.
2). Some times sediment will form in a bottle of wine for a variety of reasons. Decanting your wine allows you to leave the sediment in the original bottle. Sediment is due to improper storage (too hot or too cold). When a red wine gets too cold the pigments will bond together to form sediment (this is good sediment). Unfortunately, when a wine gets too hot, it will go bad (this is a bad sediment).
NOTE- If small clear crystals or “wine diamonds” form in your wine, this is a good thing. This is the wine trying to make itself dryer over time.