Portland Wine

A Blog for Clients, Customers, and Wine Geeks everywhere.

Achieving the right wine storage conditions can be a tall order, especially if you don’t have a wine cellar to call your own. Not many of us can lay claim to owning a wine cellar, and even more of us are in the bad practice of storing wine incorrectly. But if you want to get serious about your dedication to the art of collecting what is possibly the finest elixir known to man, you might find the perfect answer in the availability of wine storage units at some Portland self-storage facilities.

Self-storage units are the best solution to keeping a massive inventory of wine. Not only are they safe and convenient, but rental fees are a lot less expensive than building a wine cellar. There are many things to consider when storing wine at these facilities, but in the end it will totally be worth it.

When choosing the appropriate unit, the most important feature you want to look for is the ability to control the temperature. Storing wine at too warm a temperature can cause leaks in the cork, while storing in too cold a temperature can cause freezing. Climate controlled self-storage units can be set to specific temperatures, ensuring that regardless of the variety of wines you’re storing, the bottles will be kept in the optimum environment to preserve their taste.

While the average suggested temperature for wines in general is 55 degrees Fahrenheit, red wines and white wines do have slightly differing requirements for optimum aging. If you’re going to be storing large quantities of several different types of wines, the ideal circumstance is to store them in separate units that are set to precise temperatures. Here are some general guidlines for what temperature you should store each type of wine:

Red Wine - If you’re going to be storing red wine, the best temperature is a constant 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Red wine encompasses merlot, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, shiraz, and zinfandel.

White Wine – Chardonnays, sauvignon blancs, and pinot grigios should be stored at a slightly lower temperature than their red cousins, and are best when maintained in a 45 degree environment. If you’ve got a treasure trove of champagne, you can also store these with your white wines.

Dessert Wine – Because they’re well preserved by their heavy sugar content, you don’t have to be as nitpicky with regard to temperature when storing sweet dessert wines. As long as they’re kept in a relatively cool, dark environment, their taste will be well preserved.

If you have a valuable wine collection, it’s also important that you store bottles in the right conditions to promote proper aging and prevent oxidation. The tips below offer best practices and suggestions for proper wine storage.

1. Keep wine away from sunlight. The UV rays of the sun can change the smell and taste of wine, which is one reason you'll see home wine storage built in basements. Most rental units do not have windows, so your bottles will be safely shielded from UV damage.

2. Store all bottles lying on their side. Actually, the most preferable position to store a bottle of wine is with the cork facing downward at a 45 degree angle. You can use or make inexpensive racks in a storage unit to keep bottles stacked on their sides. This prevents the cork in the bottles from drying out, which exposes the wine to air.

3. Avoid excessive movements. Bottles should be moved as seldom as possible until they’re ready to be consumed, so position them strategically.

4. Store wine in a dry location. This means that you should avoid wine rack storage in environments that are prone to humidity. If a wine bottle is exposed to too much humidity, the cork itself can dry and crack, spoiling the flavor.

5. Isolate the wine. Don't store your wine bottles with anything else that may have a strong smell because the odors can actually get into your wine.

Storing you wine collection in a self-storage unit is the best alternative to building a wine cellar, and a much cheaper one. Use these tips to store your wine properly and assure that it stays in pristine drinking form for years to come.
 

      We start 2012 geeking out on biodynamic wine. You may ask, oh wine club faithful, what else is new? But really we have you to thank! Your support allows us to seek out these special wines and do something few others are doing. We think it’s really important to support environmentally conscious winemakers whose passion from vine to bottle is truly reflected in a great wine. Since we started the club, organic and biodynamic wines have come more and more into the spotlight. Right now they’re almost trendy. And that’s why we have to separate the wheat from the chaff, and continue to follow our passion in 2012. Happy new year!
      This month we travel to the Loire Valley, whose diversity in varietals ranges as much as their quality. You can find just about everything here—inexpensive to high end, Pinot Noir to Cab Franc to Malbec! One thing that is consistent among most wineries in the Loire is the practice of biodynamic viticulture.
      Our first wine comes from Domaine Huet, one of the most prominent estates in the Loire Valley. The estate is located in Vouvray, which lies to the east of Tours on the right bank of the Loire River. The region first began to produce wine in the year 372, and in 1936 the Vouvray Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée was created. The indigenous grape variety here is Chenin Blanc (or Pineau Blanc de la Loire, as the locals say), and it’s one of the most versatile varietals, capable of being made in all styles: dry, off-dry, semi-sweet, unctuous, and even sparkling. Huet’s Haut-Lieu Sec represents their dry version with just 0.8% residual sugar. It’s undetectable, due to being balanced out by the naturally high acidity this grape provides. Domaine Huet is one of the original practicing estates of biodynamic viticulture. Winemaker Noël Pinguet calls himself a “practicing nonbeliever” when it comes to biodynamics. He may not understand all the science behind it, but the superior results speak for themselves.
      Just a little farther up the Loire River lies the AOC of Touraine-Mesland, where our second wine comes from. Winemaker Vincent Girault’s family has been working in wine production since 1854 in all aspects of the industry, from tending vines and producing fine wines, to selling wines, and even cooperage (the art of handcrafting wine barrels). This wine is a blend of Gamay, Côt, and Cabernet Franc. All these vines are biodynamically farmed and range in age from 20 to 50 years old. The subtlety of this wine allows it to pair well with less hearty meat, like game and chicken, yet it can also be a perfect match for salads and cheese.

2010 Domaine Huet Le Haut-Lieu Sec
This dry, medium-bodied Chenin Blanc from the renowned Loire estate of Domaine Huet has floral, green apple, and lemon aromatics. The palate is flush with quince and mineral tones with faint hints of orange blossom and honeysuckle. Dry yet plush, with a refreshing finish, this wine pairs well with anything from salad to salmon, but it’s a great sipper on its own as well. Biodynamic.
 

2007 Clos de la Briderie Touraine-Mesland
This Loire Valley red is made up of three varietals: Côt Noir (Malbec), Cabernet Franc, and Gamay. There are lots of things going on here in this subtle, medium-bodied wine. Peppercorns, chocolate-covered cherries, dried cranberry, some violet notes, and graphite. And that’s just the nose! These aromas carry over, although they’re more subdued, to the palate. Pairs best with game meats. All biodynamic viticulture.
 

January 2012 Recipe

Geek wines such as these do not require the distractions of complicated food pairings but rather simple flavors and combinations. A pan-fried portion of fresh fish served with a light crème sauce* of white wine, tarragon, and bacon would do justice to the Huet. For this month’s red, which has unpolished floral and peppercorn qualities, a crispy roast chicken rubbed with white pepper, course salt, and lemon does the trick. As it turns out, the following sauce recipe works quite well with both of the above suggestions.

Typical French Cream Sauce

This sauce can hold on the stovetop for a couple of hours under low heat but I suggest doing it closer to the finish.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
-1 cup heavy cream
-1 cup white wine
-8 ounce package of bacon sliced into lardons (matchstick rectangles)
-1/2 small dice shallot
- 2 TBL chopped fresh tarragon
-2 TBL butter

Instructions
-Cook bacon in pan until crisp. Remove and hold bacon, and pour off most of the fat from pan.
-Add diced shallot to pan with remaining bacon fat under medium heat and cook until translucent.
-Raise heat to high and add white wine … allow wine to reduce by ½.
-Add cream to pan with onion/wine mixture. Stir and bring to a simmer.
-Add tarragon to mixture and reduce heat to low.
-Stir in butter to finish.

-Use bacon as a garnish to the sauce and protein when plating. I usually portion the sauce onto the plate, place the protein on top of the sauce, and then garnish the bacon on top of the protein and around the plate. This is especially helpful when one of the guests prefers not to eat pork because we can just skip this step.

*There is absolutely nothing ever light about a crème sauce except the portion size.