07 Feb Tallahassee Wine Tours
Tallahassee wine tours are one of our specialities so we get to learn and talk a lot about wines. For most beverages, temperature and position during storage don’t alter the flavor or integrity of the drink. (Okay, wait. Temp does matter for milk.) But seriously, for the most part, it doesn’t matter… whether hot or cold, your soda won’t spoil, and water might taste better chilled, but it doesn’t hurt it any to be warm. The same can’t be said for wine, however. Wine touts a reputation for culture and class, so I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised that it has to be treated differently. From a wine becoming “corked” to the integrity of the flavor changing, you have to make sure that you take note of a few things so it is still what it should be when you actually open a bottle.
For long term storage at home, you really want to invest in a wine refrigerator where you can set the temperature. A regular fridge is too cold to store wine in for a long period of time, and having a fridge that is geared specifically for wine storage will keep all your vintages at the optimum temp for the duration of their shelf life.
What are you supposed to do, however, when you’re on the road? If you’re on a wine tour and end up purchasing several bottles to take home, how do you keep the wine from being altered by the temperature in the car when the bottles are lying in the sun? If you’re going on a picnic excursion to the lake for the afternoon, what’s the best way to keep the wine chilled until you’re ready to open the bottle? Or, if you need to send some wine to a friend, what’s the best way to do it? Here are the things to have on hand for all of your wine-storing needs.
Keeping it cool for a few hours
If you’re only buying a couple of bottles and don’t have to keep the wine cool for hours on end, consider investing in a neoprene wine tote. They’re not expensive, and there are several available on amazon.com that you can look into, with different sizes, too. Some of the bags will hold a couple of bottles, and some will hold three. They’re compact and easy to carry around for the afternoon if you’re on a wine tour and don’t want the couple bottles that you purchase to go bad by leaving them in the car.
Storing your wine for several hours (or on a road trip)
If you need the wine to stay good for quite a while, consider investing in a thermoelectric cooler (one made by Igloo or Coleman, for example). These keep the wine (or any other beverages you want chilled) at a good temp by plugging in the cooler, or using your battery outlet in the car as you travel.
For sending wine to friends or shipping it home
When you have to ship wine, it’s a good idea to invest in styrofoam wine shippers that keep the bottles insulated. They’re also handy because they’ll prevent the bottles from moving around inside the box and potentially cracking.
For getting the bottles cool quickly
What happens if you have friends arrive for dinner and you forgot to have the wine chilled and ready for serving? It’s pretty handy to buy a wine cooler sleeve to have on hand. Basically, you buy it and freeze it for some hours beforehand, and then you can pull it out of the freezer, slip the bottle inside, and it will cool the wine in just a matter of minutes. Not a bad idea to buy one and have it in the deep freezer so it’s ready whenever you need it.
And one other tip? For short-term storing (getting wine home, for example, or taking it to a friend’s for dinner), having the bottle upright is just fine. But when you want to store the wine long-term, you always want it on its side. Keeping the bottle on its side allows the wine to be touching the cork, and this is important so the cork doesn’t dry out. If it dries out, your bottle of wine will likely become “corked,” destroying the integrity of the wine’s flavor.
It sounds complicated, but it’s really just about learning the tricks of the trade. Once you are familiar with what you need to be mindful of, you’ll be able to keep your wine fresh and unspoiled so your dinner party (or beach gathering, holiday fun, or celebratory occasion!) will be on point. If you are interested in a wine tour, follow this link: https://astrotravel.com/destinations/wine-tours/. Group transportation for Tallahassee wine tours is what we do best.