Wines are delicate and call for special care, regardless of whether it is a young wine designed for immediate consumption, or an exotic aged bottle of red or white.
Sonal Holland, India's only Master of Wine, shares tips on how to go about arranging and storing your wines with a few easy hacks for quick, easy access.
If you're a true oenophile, Holland strongly recommends investing in a wine cooler such as a EuroCave professional wine preservation system that allows flexibility to store wines at different temperature levels – with the coldest temperature setting at lower shelves progressing to slightly higher temperatures towards the top (11-15 degrees Celsius).
Whether you are passionate about wines, or are just getting started, it is no fun rummaging around to find that perfect bottle.
Holland suggests spending time now, when we are confined to our homes, to reorganise your collection. A lot of what she suggests is to do with the temperature of the bottles, so that your wine remains well-preserved.
If you have a professional preservation system, or even if you're relying on your home fridge, organising wines by temperature is ideal, as sparkling, red and white wines have different requirements for optimal temperature during storage.
Sparkling wines and champagnes are best stored at the coldest temperature setting in a special chilling container. Same is the case for any wines that are ready for chilling and are to be served immediately.
White wines are best stored at the bottom, or at the coldest temperature setting that your preservation system will allow.
If you enjoy spirits like Sake, you need not invest in a separate cooling unit. Your existing system is more than equipped to store Sake at an optimal temperature range. Simply swap out a shelf dedicated for white wines to store Sake.
Middle shelves are easy to access and are best for every-day-use wines, making it extremely convenient to reach your favourite bottle of red wine!
For red wines, your most expensive labels ought to get preference of space on the top few shelves.
If you have wines that are cellar-worthy and designed for long-term storage, or those that you’re saving to drink during special occasions (perhaps once the CoronaVirus pandemic ends?) are best stored on the top two shelves.
If you’re planning to enjoy a glass or two with your meal, or are setting aside wines for immediate consumption, a room temperature setting is ideal.
You can also arrange your wines by region or by grape variety if you're really keen to get into the swing of organising.
The sky's the limit, but do ensure that temperature control is adhered to first, so that you're not opening a bottle of wine gone bad when you finally decide to reach for that well-deserved glass!