FFW 2021 Wine Catalogue

Cellaring and Serving

CELLARING

Unfortunately formost, the ideaof a traditional vaultedwine cellar is but adream, aplacebeneath their kitchenor dining roomtoallowthemto descend the stairs andoversee their carefully curatedcollectionor pick a long-agedbottle ready to sharewith friends and family over a leisurelydinner. For those that donot have ideal storage at home, thebestway for long termstorage is inour client reserves inOctavian, stored inperfect temperature, humidity, and semi darkness. If youwant someof yourwine close tohand, it is best to try to replicate those conditions as best youcanplace a rack ina cool dark roomaway from:

Under-stairs cupboards canbeuseful options but bewareof hotwater pipes or other unexpected sources of heat. Kitchens havemultiple sources of heat, suchas dishwashers, ovens andhobs so canbe a terribleplace to storewines. Otherwise, companies suchas EuroCave ( www.eurocave.co.uk ) or Spiral Cellars ( www.spiralcellars.co.uk ) canhelpwith home storageoptions. For ideal serving, olderwines shouldbe stood uparound48before serving toallowany sediment to settle andmakepouring easier.Oftenfine whitewines arepoured too cold, and reds too. For example, a goodwhiteBurgundy is ideal withan hour ina fridge to cool itwithout chilling toomuch andmuting thedelicatenuancedflavours. If a red wine is toowarmit can taste jammy and the alcohol moreprominent, 15minutes ina fridge canoften helpbringout thepretty and fresher aromatics. Withfinewines, oftenopening and tasting an hour before serving canallowthemtobreathe, if theflavours are still a touchclosed, or tannins prominent, time inadecanter canhelp.Older or moredelicatewines suchas Burgundies can suffer if they aredecanted tooearly. If there is heavy sediment, decanting 10minutes before serving is oftenenough. After all, quiteoftena lot of the pleasureof abottleofwine is enjoying as they developandchange inyour glasswhile thebottle is gradually emptied.

Frequentmovement

Direct light

Avoid temperaturefluctuations

Ideal storage temperature is around 10-14 °Cor as close to this as possible

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WINE CATALOGUE