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Quote of the Month
Here is a good New Year's Resolution:
Conserve water! Drink more wine!
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Think you know wine?
Pour yourself a glass of your favorite vintage and take this wine quiz to see what you know and learn even more about this wonderful elixir. |
Cheers!
When toasting, one of the words used most often is "Cheers!" This month, we stay in North America:
Cheers! |
Looking for Something?
Can't find something wine-related on our website? We would like to know what you are looking for! We constantly update the items we offer. You can reply to this email, use the contact us page or our customer feedback form to let us know.
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Dear Wine Lover,
Happy New Year!
We hope that you were pleased with the service and products that you received from SterlingWineOnline.com in 2008. Also, we would like to include your comments on our Testimonials page, so please indicate whether we can or not.
Thank you. |
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Featured Items |
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Are you ready to organize all of the wine that you received at Christmas or just need help with a growing wine collection? The Wine Badge and Wine TagIts identification systems offer the perfect option to help you catalog your favorite wine.
Have questions on how to properly store your wine? Check out this article, written by Nan Yielding, that includes some great tips for storing wine. |
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Wine & Grape Facts
Each month, we'd like to share some interesting facts about wines and grape varieties. Hope you enjoy and, who knows, maybe learn something new.
Storing Wine
As wine ages, numerous things can influence the wine. It's important to control the air, temperature, light, vibration, and humidity of the wine.
- AIR - Nothing spoils good wine faster than too much air, causing the wine to oxidize. What's important is to ensure the cork remains moist so no additional air is allowed to enter the bottle. That's why it's advised to store your wine horizontally to keep the cork from cracking or shrinking, thus admitting unwanted air.
- TEMPERATURE - The optimum temperature for storing wine is 50 to 55°F (10-12°C). However, any constant temperature within 40-65°F (5-18°C) is acceptable. Many people store their wine in cellars to maintain these temperatures, but small collections can be kept in wine cabinets.
Almost as important as the actual temperature is the rate of temperature change. A ten degree change over a season is harmless, but frequent and rapid changes can severely damage wine, even when stored within the desired range.
- LIGHT - Light exposure should be kept to a minimum. Though modern wine bottles have good UV filters, some light can still penetrate. Incandescent bulbs produce less ultraviolet light than fluorescent, so they are preferable for wine storage.
- VIBRATION - Vibration interferes with aging and stirs up sediments. Try to avoid moving bottles until ready to be served.
Generally speaking, if you're a casual drinker (not a collector) and drink your wine within one year after purchase, you can store wine just about anywhere that is not exposed to light or heat (basement, closet, pantry, under the sink). SterlingWineOnline.com offers a unique wine rack selection to help organize and store your wine.
The following contains some types of wine and the approximate period they should be aged for optimal flavor:
SUGGESTED AGING from vintage date
Chardonnay: ($12-25) - Consume within 5 years
California Riesling: ($12-25) - Consume within 3-4 years
Syrah/Shiraz: ($12-25) - 3-5 years
Cabernet Sauvignon: ($12 -15) - 5-6 years
($25) - 7-15 years
Merlot: ($12-25) - 3-4 years
($25) - 5-12 years |
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Wine of the Month Recommendation
 For January, we'd like to recommend the 2006 Petit Petit (about $20) from the Michael David Winery in Lodi, California.
Aged 14 months in new French Oak, the carnivalistic blend of Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot is definitely the star of the show. Trunk fulls of blueberry, plum, vilet and chalky tannins give a seamless finish to this jumbo sized offering.
Visit Michael David winery at lodivineyards.com. | |
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