Wine Etiquette
by Chef Mark R. Vogel

The other day I was having a conversation with my neighbor Bill.  Bill is an extremely good-natured and caring person.  But he is also honest and straight-forward; a no BS kind of guy who holds no inhibitions about proclaiming the emperor isn’t wearing any clothes.  He’ll tell you like it is.

In this nauseatingly, politically correct world where much communication is euphemized, or packaged in sensitivity-side-stepping disingenuousness, Bill’s candor is refreshing.  We were discussing the trappings of the working world, particularly the suffocating level of tact and diplomacy required to survive interpersonally these days.  Bill stated:  “Do you know what etiquette is?”  “What?” I queried.  “It’s not stating the obvious.”  I chuckled with empathic resonance.

I’ll bet some of you thought when you read the title of this article that it was going to be some hoity-toity, snobby list of rules for consuming wine.  No Sir.  I am fully embracing Bill’s definition of etiquette and applying it to wine.  Only I’m going to be “anti-etiquette” and state the obvious.

What is this “obviousness” about wine that certain people don’t want to hear or deny?  It’s this:  Alcohol is a key factor in wine consumption.  Crash!  I can hear the Riedel crystal goblets falling to the floor as outraged connoisseurs become incensed at my suggestion that alcohol influences their appreciation of their beloved elixir.  How boorish of me to cheapen their sophisticated epicureanism by suggesting it embraces some primitive strivings.

The oenophile would argue that wine, especially fine wine, is not an alcohol transmission device or a refreshment to be quaffed uncouthly in response to thirst or base impulses.  On the simplest level, wine is about food and is therefore an inextricable component to all that food represents.

But wine is even more than the gustatory pleasure of uniting a painstakingly refined product with exquisite food.  Wine is an icon of our culture and a symbol of our traditions.  Its sociocultural roots are imbedded in our theology, our celebrations of life, and our respect for the land.  Wine is transcendent and its study and appreciation are an urbane and profound endeavor.

I heartily agree with those sentiments but I don’t think that’s the whole story.  First of all, if alcohol were removed from wine, it wouldn’t be wine.  It would taste radically different.  Alcohol is one of the primary constituents of wine, which in conjunction with tannins, fruit, and acidity form the wine’s structure.

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How to Build a Wine Cellar in Your Home

Build Your Own Wine Cellar

If you’re a connoisseur of fine wines, chances are that you keep a few bottles in your home. If you are looking to expand your collection or if you would like to keep wines for more than about six months, however, you’ll need a wine cellar in your home to properly store the vintages.

The most important thing to remember is that not all wines improve with age. While most red wines improve with age and careful storage, white wines are often at their peak over a more short-term time frame. By knowing how to store wines properly, you can plan the best wine cellar for your home, and build it to suit your needs as well as for the protection of your growing collection.

Considerations for Wine Cellar Environments

In order to store wine properly, you need to control humidity, temperature, light, and vibration. You can build your wine cellar in a basement or even in a closet so long as you can properly regulate the conditions and protect the wine. As long as you are able to keep the storage areas within specific parameters, it will be a good place to keep your wines for long-term storage.

What’s more important regarding the location is how you intend to use the cellar. If you will be visiting it daily and have the space, a large closet may be your best choice. If you will visit it less frequently, a basement room will allow more storage, as well as be easier to keep cool.

• The humidity of your wine cellar should be at approximately 70 percent. This helps to keep the corks moist. A dry cork shrinks, allowing air to enter the bottle and liquid to escape. It’s the same reason wines are stored on their sides, keeping the inner half of the cork wet. At the same time, you should monitor the humidity of the cellar and not allow it to get too much higher than 70 percent.Higher levels of humidity can cause the glue on the labels to weaken, and may even allow the corks to mold. It’s important to install monitors in your wine cellar that regulate humidity levels, as well as humidifiers triggered by the monitor to add moisture as it is needed yet turn off when the appropriate level of humidity is reached.
• Temperature is another important factor. Wines need to be kept between 50 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit in order to store well. While a refrigerator can be calibrated to maintain this temperature, it is also an appliance that receives constant use. The light turning off and on, the temperature changes when the door is open, and the vibration of the appliance itself all make this an undesirable choice for long term storage.For your wine cellar, you’ll need a thermostat as well as a cooling system in place in order to maintain a proper temperature. If you worry that your cellar may become too cold, you’ll need a warming system, as well. Be aware that any temperature modifications you make need to be gentle, as regularly shifting the temperature of the wine will cause it to age more quickly.
• It is important to keep the cellar dark, and to make sure that the bottles are protected from the light you use when you visit the cellar. While most bottles now have UV protection within the glass, not all do. Even bottles with this protection can become “light struck” over time, which means that the light the wine was exposed to has changed the flavor of the wine to something resembling wet cardboard.While white wines and champagnes are the most likely to change, light isn’t good for long-term storage for reds, either. Make sure that the light in the cellar isn’t shining directly on the bottles. You can always pull a bottle out to check the label, but its place in the rack should still be shadowed even when the light is on.
• Vibrations are the final consideration for a quality wine cellar. While the effects of vibration are debated, it’s believed that they cause the wine to age more quickly. They may impede the natural evolution of the wine, leaving you with vintages that never reach their peak.Vibrations come from many sources, so be sure that any machinery that you have in or near your wine cellar don’t cause the wine to vibrate. Also, be sure to purchase racks that are well constructed and stable. Solidly built racks will absorb smaller vibrations and will help to protect your collection.

With all of these concerns to consider, building a wine cellar may seem very complicated. While proper storage does require careful planning, once it is built and the temperature and humidity are calibrated, all you have to do is keep it running. Be sure to check your systems regularly to ensure that the cellar is stable, and keep adding more wines as you collect them. You can be confident that your new wine cellar will keep them protected and in prime condition for decades to come.

How to Buy The 2005 Bordeaux Wine Vintage

When I was working as a Wall Street broker, I became interested in French wines, how to buy them and even started collecting some great 1985 Bordeaux wines to "lay down" so they would be perfect when I opened them 10 years later. One year I even had the opportunity to attend Kevin Zraly’s Windows On The World Wine School at the top of the World Trade Center. What an incredible experience.

Back then, French wine was expensive but no where near as expensive as it is today. With the dollar being so week and the demand for French wine growing around the world, I thought my collection days were over but then came the 2005 Bordeaux vintage. It was huge and from everything I read, a vintage worth buying and laying down.

Just recently I found a case of 2005 Talbot from the St-Julien area of Bordeaux that was given 92 points from the Wine Spectator. French wine expert Robert Parker says of the wine, "A strong effort for Talbot, the 2005 is more showy and forward than most wines of this vintage. While there is plenty of tannin, it is sweet and well-concealed behind an intriguing bouquet of sweet herbs, licorice, smoked game, black currants, and cherries. This fleshy, medium to full-bodied St.-Julien exhibits a silky sweetness to its texture and tannins. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020+."

Now that’s a mouthful!!!

Because I’m not a wine expert, I thought it might be helpful to ask a friend of mine, wine aficionado Todd Ross from Mills Fine Wine & Spirits in Annapolis, Maryland about Bordeaux wines, the 2005 vintage in particular and buying wine futures. I’m hoping to get Todd to become more active on www.reluctgourmet.com so we can all learn more about wine from his expertise. If you are ever in the Annapolis area, I recommend you go into Mills Fine Wine & Spirit and ask for Todd. He won’t steer you wrong. Here is what Todd had to say when I asked him:

When is the best time to start drinking 2005 Bordeaux?

2005 was a "robust" vintage in Bordeaux; that is to say the wines are very full-bodied and ripe, but with considerable tannic structure. There is always the question of under what conditions will the bottles be stored. If one has a cellar that is at 55 degrees with the right humidity, then there is indeed no rush to get at the bottles.

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