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The Oxford Times Wine ClubThe spy in the cellar
Those of you with a good memory may remember the article I wrote last summer referring to the estate agent who came to value my home and invited herself to a glass or three of some of my best (unopened) Chianti.
Things have progressed since then. We've sold, we're moving out and, perhaps worst of all, we're house hunting. I know I'm supposed to be focused on the views, the room layout and the humongous cracks in the ceilings. Instead though, I find myself idling by the wine racks and making a mental assessment of their contents. I should be ashamed of myself but I love it.
I want to know what's in them, how many bottles there are, where they're stored and what the owners had to drink the night before. I've even been known to eye up the glassware. Thank goodness I'm married to someone infinitely more practical, without whom I run the risk of bargaining over bottles rather than carpets or curtains.
Anyway, now that I've seen what a not insignificant number of you are up to, I'm going to put my spying to good use and give you a few pointers.
I'm going to start by repeating a bit of drum banging and remind you that while a small percentage of wines do benefit from mid to long-term cellaring', the bulk of wines are intended to be drunk in their youth. In the last few months I have wept silent tears for the dust-coated bottles of Rioja, Chablis, Australian reds and Champagnes whose contents have undoubtedly faded to a vinegary death. It's a criminal waste. Stop hoarding, start drinking! If nothing else, if you ever move house, the removal company will charge you an arm and a leg to move it so think of the money you could save.
If you are lucky enough to have a few bottles that warrant some time squirreled away, here are a few places I suggest you don't leave them: beside the boiler, below the washing machine, on top of the fridge or in the full glare of the biggest window.
You need to find a quiet, dark corner where the temperature stays as consistent as possible. The warmer the spot, the faster the wines will mature while bottles in a chillier place will take that bit longer. Wines which are exposed to UV rays day after day will also suffer as will those that find themselves underneath fluorescent lighting. Remember, too, that cookers and fridges generate a wealth of destructive hot air.
If it's sealed with a cork top, then you absolutely must keep the bottle lying on its side. In this way the cork stays wet, preventing it from shrinking and allowing oxygen in that will result in a faulty wine.
I certainly get pretty excited about what I see in people's collections. We obviously have very good taste in Oxfordshire! All I need to do now is persuade everybody that simple, completely clear wine glasses are the best receptacles for enjoying your wines.
Thick-lipped glasses with designer splashes of colour are just not my thing. They don't feel nice in your mouth and they do nothing for the wine. A clear glass gives you a chance to really look at the wine and, though you may disagree, setting sight on a prettily coloured wine is as much a part of the wine-drinking experience as the actual drinking.
My dislike of glasses with thick rims is intense and, I confess, probably out of proportion. I just hate the fact that the glass seems to be so completely in my face' when I go to take a drink. I can feel the glass on my lips and invariably taste it too and that's before the wine has even made it into my mouth. It's an intrusion on my wine-drinking pleasure.
All in all, it's great news. My somewhat limited research tells me that we're a county of enthusiastic wine-drinkers and I'm certainly very happy about that. I'd be happier still if the next house I go to visit is sporting a case from The Oxford Times Wine Club. This week's Spanish selection is a cracker. So good in fact that the bottles may well all be gone by the time yours truly comes to view.
Click here for The Oxford Times Wine Club offers.
3:55pm Friday 1st February 2008
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