How To Properly Store Wine

Avoid Light Exposure 

Don’t store wine in the light. Light waves have negative effects on the flavor and smell of wine. Particularly, UV rays are the light rays you should try to avoid. Most other forms of light are okay, but its best to just keep the wine in a dark area.

Try To Keep The Wine Still

You should also keep the wine in a place where it won’t be moved. When wine is moved, the particles are mixed together and it disturbs the aging process.

Protecting The Cork

Keep the bottle on it’s side. This will help prevent the cork from drying out. When the cork drys out, the wine is no longer sealed off properly, and it is exposed to dust, mold, and other outside forces.

Watch The Humidity

On top of this, you must pay attention to the humidity level where you are storing the wine. The ideal humidity level is 70%, this will help keep the cork from drying out.

Store Away From Strong Odors

Store the wine in a place where there are no strong odors nearby. Anything that has a strong smell has the potential to taint the wine’s flavor if it can seep through the cork.

Keep The Temperature Steady

When you are storing the wine, try to keep the temperature steady. If you keep the environment you are storing the wine in stable, the wine itself will age much more gracefully.

Know How Long You Should Age The Wine

Certain wines are meant to be stored for certain lengths of time. You should keep track of the age of the wine and how long it should age before opening it up.

Serve The Wine At The Right Temperature

It is also helpful to know what temperature to serve the wine at, because certain wines are better served at different temperatures.

Ask An Expert At A Fine Wine Bar

One thing to consider is finding a fine wine and bistro near your home that provides the best wine tasting experience possible. If you are in the New Port Richey, FL area, visit Brix33 and enjoy our restaurant. 

How Picking Conditions Affect Grapes & Wine

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Provided By: Brix 33 | Restaurant in New Port Richey FL

Many people don’t know that growing and picking conditions affect the qualities of the grapes and wine. For example, grapes become ripe much quicker in warmer climates (i.e. closer to the equator). Or that many vineyards test chemical components of the grape when determining if it’s ready. Every single factor that you can think of has some effect on the grape.

Certain wines like sparkling wines require grapes that are picked slightly before they reach ripeness, so as to maintain some acidity. There are some qualities that can only be detected by humans however. This is why some vineyards and wineries still use humans to pick grapes as opposed to machines. A machine cannot detect broken skin on a grape, which could be a big risk.

There are actually a certain variety of grapes that can only be handpicked, and they are required for dessert wines among many other types. These ‘botrytis bunches’ are essentially grapes with fungus growing on them. Similar to the fuzzy grey growth you will see on strawberries, this fungus comes in many varieties. This is where growing conditions are important, because dryer climates grow a form of this known as ‘noble rot’. In this case, more liquid leaves the grape and results in a concentrated grape.

This is why it is important for some vineyards to only have human pickers. Without a human’s intuition diseased grapes may get into wine and make people sick. Many people also believe that picking grapes during the nighttime and daytime have different effects on sugar levels. It has also been said that grapes that are picked during a rain have a ‘watery’ taste. All in all, the growing and picking conditions of grapes have a large effect on the quality of grapes and wine you will receive. Read more on this topic and visit Brix 33 fine wines and bistro in New Port Richey FL.