Proper Storing Is Very Important For Your Red Wine

Storing wine properly is important to maintain the quality of your red wine. One key factor is the wine storage temperature. Another factor is how the bottles are placed and where for storage.

Find answers to these and a few other key tips to help maintain the quality of the wine for both short term and longer term storage.

The best red wine storage temperature is somewhere around 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Those stored at a warmer temperature age faster, which does allow the wine the time it needs to bring out its complexity. Storing wine at a cooler temperature slows down the ageing process so wines need a longer storage period before they are ready.

Red wine is damaged in temperatures at or over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The biggest threat at this temperature is storing your wine in the car while wine tasting or after picking it up at the store. Be careful and do not store it in the car for too long before you get it home.

It is also damages the wine when it is moved quickly between extreme temperatures. When storing wine, do not move it from a hot place to a cool place too quickly such as from your hot car directly to the cool basement cellar. Give the wine a little time in between to cool down slowly, so the temperature change does not damage the wine.

It is best to store your red wine in a cool, dark cellar. Set the humidity level between 65 and 75%, if that is an option. This gives the wine the perfect environment in which to age well. If you have the room and extra money, another popular option is to store it in a wine fridge that regulates the temperature between 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Both keep the temperature consistent and allow the wine to age properly.

Make sure your red wine storage is in a location where it does not move around a lot. If you store it in a cellar, ensure that the wine rack or other storage unit is solid and does not shake the wine too much. Make sure the rack or storage unit is also level or on stable ground. If the rack is stable, but it is on an uneven surface or unstable ground, that could also affect the aging process of your wine. Constant movement of the wine in storage damages it.

Lay all wine on its side for storage. This is to ensure that the cork does not dry out.
Experts also notice a difference in the aging process between wine stored upright and those stored on their side, as storing it on the side improves the aging process. Double-check your storage to ensure that it is not only lying on its side, but that the wine is keeping the cork from drying out.

Store it in a location where it does not get direct sunlight. Pull the shades or close the door if sunlight is hitting the wine directly. Storing red wine in the sun increases the temperature and the flavor of the wine changes.

Some red wines tend to get even better with age and can be stored for a few months up to a few years. I also expanded on this point a little to explain the length of time needed for storing wine.

Different Types Of Dry Red Wine

Think choosing between a few dry red wine types should be easy? Think again! When you're trying to find the best red wine for a dinner party or special meal, you'll probably find the sheer range of red wine choices more than a little daunting.

Step one is knowing the most common dry red wine types you'll encounter when you're out shopping. Read below to learn a bit more about the different types of dry red wine, and what to look for. Or check my Choosing Wine for a Party page for resources on red wines, whites, and pairing wine with food. Here is a list of some very common red wines, including how they're flavored and where they tend to come from. Or you can check this page for an overview of all the common wine types, including white, champagne, and sweet wines.

Barbera Wines

Most of this dry red wine comes from the Piedmont region of Italy, though it is also becoming a popular grape variety in California wines. More aged versions of Barbera tends to be very full bodied (great with heavy food) but with a nice balance of acid. Lighter, younger varieties are medium bodied and fruity.

Cabernet Franc Wines

France and California are both famous for growing this dry red wine type. But this wine is often mixed with other grapes or flavorings, and is not commonly used on its own.

You'll generally find Cab Franc mixed with Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot (as with French Bordeoux wines) and occasionally with other varieties for use in Chianti. You'll also find this variety mixed with other grapes in Spanish, California, Washington State, Australia, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina.

Cabernet Sauvignon Wine

This is one of the most popular dry red wine types there is, and is grown all over the world. The most famous probably comes from France near Bordeaux, but you can find it grown all over the world. This grape is either produced on its own, or blended with merlot, shiraz, cabernet franc, you name it.

The beauty of this wine is how it ages to perfection. It's powerful, full-bodied, and takes on a lot of flavor from the aging process. Some versions of this wine are a bit more subtle, but many are very intense, with a lot of sharp or bitter-tasting tannins. Not a wine for people who don't like the flavor of wine! It also tends to be a bit higher in alcohol, making it difficult to pair with very spicy foods.

Grenache/Garnacha Wine

This is another one of those dry red wine types grown all over the world. The most famous Grenache (or Garnacha in Spain) wines come from California, Spain, and France. The most famous varieties probably cone from Spain.

This dry red wine type has berry overtones and a high-medium body, and is often blended with other varieties of wine to add body and fruitiness to wines. It has a higher amount of alcohol and low amounts of tannins.

Merlot Wine

This is probably one of the most user friendly dry red wine types in the world. Merlot has become an incredibly popular wine in the last decade because it has a low acid content and very smooth flavor. It also has strong berry tones. This wine is grown all over the world, to be made alone or mixed with other varieties.

Merlot tends to be a fruity wine, with hints of plum and currant, and is lower in tannins than more intense reds like Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlots grown in cooler areas tend to be fruiter and more acidic.

Pinot Noir Wine

This variety of wine has always been known as a very finicky grape, but, when well executed, produces lovely, complex wines-- the most famous of which come from France (such as Burgundy wine) and California. This is a delicate wine that, depending on the vintner, will have a variety of flavors. It's generally light-to-medium bodied, and filled with aroma and flavor, ranging from fruity to floral to herbal. This is also one of the wine grape varieties used in French champagne.

Tempranillo Wine

Tempranillo is the quintessential Spanish wine grape, and is the most commonly used grape the famous Spanish wine region of Rioja. Once exclusively Spanish, this grape is now grown in Australia, California, South America, and South Africa, as well.
This is a wine that is either drunk young or aged, and it takes very well to a long aging process. It is often used on its own, especially in Rioja wines, but is also mixed with other varieties all over the world. It can be either light and mild, as in a young Tempranillo, or oakey and intense when aged.

Red Zinfandel Wine

Most wine newbies think Zinfandel is a bad thing-- and only comes in a sweet white. Not true! This grape is also one of the more popular dry red wine types to come out of California. This type of red wine has both spice and fruit tones, depending on how it's produced. Cooler areas produce a more berry flavored wine, while warmer areas produce a spicier wine.

How To Choose The Best Type Of Red Wine

There are many people that would argue that the best red wines are French. However, there are multitudes of others who would argue for a particular type of red wine that is made in Australia, Chile or even California. Finding the best red wine can be different for each individual since people's tastes differ from each other and the type of red wine that is required for a meal really depends on the meal that is being prepared. There are some people who think that the best red wines are those that are sweeter while others would argue for the dry red wines. The best red wines are those that fit the meal, are pleasing to the palates of the people at the dinner table, and fit into the budget of the host.

One of the more popular types of red wine is the merlot. This type of grape tends to mature quickly so that the wine does not have to age as long before consumption and is therefore usually a little less expensive than other types of wine. It is also usually a smoother wine, good for people who are beginning to drink red wines. The merlot is the one of the best red wines because it is so versatile to use. It goes with a variety of different dishes, from red meats, to pastas and even some heavier chicken and fish dishes.

Another type of red wine that is considered the best is the cabernet sauvignon. This type of red wine is dryer than the merlot and has a fuller body to it with more tannins. This red wine is usually used with red meat dishes where the meat is prepared very simply, without sauces or other additions to it. There is also the cabernet franc which has the same sort of flavors as the cabernet sauvignon but is not as well known. These wines all range in price from about six dollars per bottle to over five hundred dollars per bottle, depending on the brand and the age of the wine. This also makes these the best red wines on the market because of the variety in pricing, thus fitting everyone's budget needs.

A pinot noir based red wine is also considered the best red wine, however, the price of these red burgundy wines is more than the wines listed above. The price is often prohibitive to some people enjoying these wines, thus eliminating them from the best red wine category for certain people.

Drinking Red Wine, Enjoying Your Health

Drinking red wine enjoying your meal slowly grasping the feeling of fullness is an effective way to reduce the amount of food you eat without forcing dietary restrictions on yourself. By eating your meal slowly, a feeling of fullness is acquired and the red wine diet can reduce the quantity eaten automatically.

Red wine is abundant in antioxidants such as polyphenol that come with many short term and long term health benefits to look forward too. Since there is no dietary restriction, there is little stress, and what it is easy to continue for a long time is charm.

When talking about red wine what doesn't come to mind is dieting. Instead many associate red wine with a romantic dinner getaway or how the French drink red wine everyday and don't get fat appreciating high longevity rates than other countries.

The red wine diet is a weight-loss method to be skinny while drinking alcohol. During dinner, I have dinner with a cup of red wine slowly. By eating slowly, you are of the amount be reduced to prevent Eating, eating naturally.

Red wine comes with a number of benefits not for your health but also in enriching your lifestyle. In particular, having a glass of wine per meal isn't going to hurt you but actual improve your chances of not overeating. With strong antioxidant for life long health and potassium to drive out the salt it would appear that there are no flaws.

People who like alcohol, I think there are some cases that a diet of "Do not drink alcohol" has become stressful. It is not "alcohol is an enemy of a diet". A nutrient is contained also in alcohol, and many effects can be acquired if it is a proper quantity.

Probably, the greatest advantage of the red wine diet which can obtain a meal deliciously, drinking alcohol and but becomes thinner is the point "there is no stress."

Red wine is said to contain up to 4 times the natural polyphenols than green tea!
Polyphenols are a strong antioxidant that is believed to treat cholesterol related health problems while actively aiding in the prevention of clogged arteries.

In red wine, contains 4 times about green tea polyphenols. Polyphenols have strong antioxidant capacity, prevent the oxidation of bad cholesterol; we prevent the hardening of the arteries.