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HOME WINE CELLAR HAPPY HOBBY
To "collect" French wines is a most exciting
and distinctive hobby which is becoming more and more popular
every day. It is an unending source of knowledge and enjoyment.
Like the bibliophile or the art collector,
the cellar owner can create a "collection” which expresses his
personality, satisfies his taste and brings enjoyment to his
friends.
Your Wine Cellar
A wine cellar is a conversation piece par
excellence and the pleasure of
talking about it is matched only by the delight of tasting it.
Talking about a variety of French wines is to
talk about the wines themselves, of course, but also about the
different regions, customs, sites, cultures, remembrances of
past travels and experiences.
As a matter of fact, there is practically
nobody who cannot contribute to such a conversation with
interesting, original and fresh thoughts.
Although a French wine cellar is a
discriminating hobby, it can be indulged in at very little cost.
A fascinating "collection" can be made with regional wines and
only a few of the more expensive bottles.
The smart cellar owner may build a treasure
which becomes more precious as time goes by. Buying by cases
instead of by bottles insures a saving.
Buying some of the great wines when they are
of recent vintage is a wise investment. since such wines
considerably increase in value as they age and reach maturation
and scarcity.
A good size wine cellar requires little
room but before deciding where to make it there are several
factors which must be taken into consideration.
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First and foremost, it must be remembered
that wine should never be subjected to sudden changes in
temperature. Although constant heat is bad for wine, variations
of hot and cold are, by far, the wine's worst enemy. The ideal
temperature for a wine cellar is about 5O°F (1O°C).
A few degrees difference in either direction, is entirely
satisfactory if the temperature is kept fairly constant.
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Secondly, wine should not be stored where it
will receive too much light. Preferably. it should be kept in a
fairly dark place away from direct sunrays or ultra-violet rays
(ordinary bulbs are better than fluorescent tubes).
Taking these points into consideration, the
conclusion is that a home wine cellar is best situated in a dark
sheltered spot where the temperature is fairly cool and
constant.
It should be away from any heating unit or heating system which
is turned on during the day and off during the night, and it
should be in a place where it is not necessary to move the
bottles frequently.
Of course, the ideal location for a wine
cellar would be an air-conditioned cellar with an automatic
temperature control. In such an environment wine will keep in
perfect condition for years and years, and will mature as
naturally and perfectly as it would in the cellar of a wine
merchant.
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