Whirlpool ARZ000W Instruction for Use download pdf (Page 4)

INTRODUCTION TO WINE

Wine storage

As is well-known, wine can be stored over time: if

kept in a suitable place, white wines can be stored for

about two years from their vintage date, however it

is best to consume them within one year. Light red

wines can be stored for up to two years, whereas

some full-bodied red wines will keep will for ten

years and dessert wines even twenty years.

When purchasing a bottle of wine, immediately put

it in your wine cellar or another suitable place.

There are three all-important factors in the process

going from grape growing to harvesting and

vinification: light, humidity and ambient

temperature. To ensure that the taste of the wine

reaches full maturity and to preserve the bouquet,

proper storage is necessary through the interaction

of these three factors.

Storage place

Not everyone has a basement suitable for use as a

cellar. Technology has only recently provided an

effective substitute for the classic cellar. Your new

wine cellar is a special appliance specifically designed

to hold and store wines properly. In fact, it should only

be used for your favourite bottles of wine, and not for

fruit, vegetables and tins. In this way, you can suitably

age, store and taste any kind of wine, even if you do

not have a cellar space.

Storing

A golden rule for storing your wine bottles is to lay

them horizontally or tilted to ensure that the wine

keeps the cork wet. Many think that this causes the

classic smell of “cork”. In actual fact, keeping the

cork in contact with the wine enhances its elasticity,

thereby guaranteeing its functionality.

Another important factor in storing wine is how the

bottles are arranged: the bottles should be

arranged freely but in an orderly way according to

place of origin, type of wine, production area,

producer and vintage, also using the cataloguing

labels provided. Arranging the bottles so that they

can be easily removed and used prevents any

accidental jolting which, like vibrations, can unsettle

the sediments and alter the visual appearance of the

wine for some time. Therefore, move your bottles

as little as possible, allowing the wine to rest. Do

not push the bottles against the rear wall of the

cellar as this will not only compromise efficient

defrosting, but could also ruin the bottle labels due

to the water droplets collected during defrosting.

Bottle racks must be made from wood, as this

material effectively absorbs any vibrations and keeps

bottles away from the wall which transmits heat or

cold.

Also, the bottles of wine must be stored away from

substances or places with strong odours, which can be

easily absorbed by the wine. Therefore, your new

appliance has an active carbon filter to absorb any

impurities in the air.

Temperature and humidity

Temperature is a critical and vital factor during the

entire life-cycle of wine; it determines how well the

wine develops when aged in the bottle. For optimum

storage, the temperature must be kept constant

between 8 and 12°C. Rapid and considerable

temperature changes must be avoided: when the

temperature is too high, the liquids expand,

accelerating the ageing process, whereas excessively

low temperatures (below 4 - 5°C) can cause tartrate

precipitations, a defect that compromises the pleasant

appearance of the wine. In the extreme case of the

temperature falling below 0°C, the wine would freeze

causing the cork to burst

Humidity is also crucial for good storage: dry places

cause the cork to shrink, whereas too damp places

cause mould and harmful microorganisms to form.

The relative humidity must be kept between

50% - 70%.

The cork

The cork is a basic component of the bottle: its quality,

selected by the wine-maker, is very important for

correct ageing of the wine. The perfect conditions of the

cork, including corks of the bottles purchased, depend

exclusively on the standards of use and storage

employed by the producer or bottler.

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Whirlpool ARZ000W Instruction for Use Page 4

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