WINE STORING

Cool And Dark
Wine should be kept in a cool, dark place: the ideal temperature is about 10 degrees centigrade. Though cool, it must be frost free (avoid unheated garages for this reason). Humidity is important to keep the seal of corks –and thus the wine – in good condition.

Avoid Long Refrigeration
Keeping white wine in the fridge for weeks on end can deaden the flavour when you do come to drink it.

Store Wine The Correct Way Up
Always store table wine lying on its side to ensure that the corks don't dry out. Champagne and other sparklers can be stored upright – the layer of carbon dioxide in the neck of the bottle will protect the wine from contact with the air.

Keep Fine Wines In Their Original Wooden Cases
At least until you are ready to drink them. There's no safer way to store the precious bottles, and the official packaging should certainly be retained if you might want to sell at auction later on.

Prevent Damp
To prevent damp damaging labels on bottles, try sealing them with a blast of unscented hair spray.

Alternatives To A Cellar
If you don't have a cellar, try a Vintec. These high tech temperature controlled cabinets mimic ideal cellar conditions and come in a range of sizes. Prices start at around RM4,000.00

If Space Is A Problem
A compact solution for wine storage is the spiral cellar. These round cellars are sunk into the ground below your house and entered by an integral spiral stair. Bottles are then stored in a honeycomb of bins which make up the outer wall of the cellar.

Not For The Faint Hearted
For the richer or more gothically inclined, why not build your own vaulted cellar? These highly atmospheric vaults, which would not look out of place under a Medoc chateau, are perfect both for storing wine and as an impressive backdrop for sharing those grands crus.

Store Your Wine With The Experts'
Many of the better wine merchants offer a storage service. This can be an excellent solution for wine that needs ageing. However, make sure that your wines are separately stored from the firm's stocks and are clearly marked as yours.

Plan For The Apocalypse
For the ultimate in secure cellaring, what could be safer than a bombproof bunker? In the event of a nuclear holocaust your wines will be safe, even if nothing else is...

DECENTING

Decanting is only necessary for older wines and ports that contain sediment. The sediment may add bitterness to the wine, but it may also be removed for aesthetic reasons. Decanting improves the flavour of many old red wines by providing the wine with a chance to "breathe", but the wine should be consumed soon after because it will begin to diminish. In addition, young wines often benefit from the aeration and rest (about an hour) that decanting provides.

Until the wine is ready to be decanted, let it rest upright so the sediment will sink to the bottom.  Then slowly pour the wine into the decanter, keeping the bottle at an angle.  A cheesecloth or other sort of filter can be used to drain sediment, but this is often done out of your guests sight.  


The classic decanting method involves holding a candle (or other small light) behind the bottleneck so you can see and stop any traveling sediment from entering the glass.

WINE IN ASIA

Although historically, Eastern Asia's wine production was limited to medicinal use, with the expansion of the West and cross-cultural relations, the area is developing into a major beverage industry.

China
China has been producing wines since about 2140BC, when wine production was completely alien to the western world. These wines, however, were originally cultivated for medicinal purposes and not social enjoyment.

Currently China is producing more and more wines through the use of western grape varieties such as the Pinot Noir and Merlot.

The following is a list of the major types of wine made in China today.

P'u t'ao Chiu : This is a generic wine produced from grapes
Chaosing: Wine produced from rice
Chefoo: High alcohol content red and white wines
Tsingtao : Red and white Sherry-like wines that are high in alcohol
Meikuishanputaochu: A sweet Muscat-like wine from hybrids
Great Wall : a fruity-flavoured wine made from the Loong Yan grape

Japan
Just like Chinese wines, the first Japanese wines were only produced for the purposes of medicine. Modern wine making in Japan did not begin until the mid 19th century after Japan broke out of its long period of isolation.

Recently vineyards have spread throughout Japan, but are found mostly on the main island of Honshu. Japan's best wines come from the slopes of Mt. Fujiyama on Honshu.

While most Japanese wines are not well known in western markets, Japan does produce for export a large amount of rice wine, or Sake, that is popular in the West.