No matter how much alcohol has risen in price, there will always be connoisseurs who come to stores specifically for it and are ready to pay substantial sums. But still, part of consumers are starting to think about why spend crazy money on alcohol of dubious quality, when you can make a home analogue at a much lower cost. But how to store homemade wine? How can you diversify its taste? Is it worth taking up such a thing? We will try to make out this with the article.
The truth is in the fault
It is known that wine appeared more than a thousand years ago. The ancient Romans were very fond of it, but modern people do not refuse to use it. But when buying, we are guided primarily by the price. A rare seller may offer to taste a drink, enjoy the taste and aroma. Yes, and the sommelier profession is not so popular in Russia to open departments at universities. But the taste of wine in many respects depends on the method of storage, room temperature and, of course, shelf life. The modern consumer does not even think about all this, preferring to let things go by themselves. Many people know that over the years, wine only gets better, but this is on condition that the container is tightly corked and not opened. But after the opening date is greatly reduced.
Basic tips
If we are talking about a purchased product, then protect it from ultraviolet radiation and from the vicinity of strongly odorous products. Wine is a moody product. It can be completely saturated with aromas of sausage, cheese or lard. Will you be pleased to enjoy such a drink? Hardly! And exposure to the rays of the sun also spoils the aroma. If the house has a bar, then you can leave the wine there by closing the bottle with a cork or wrapping it in a dense cloth. If the bottle is corked, then it can and should be stored in a lying position. Why is that? Yes, just in an upright position, the cork loosens and lets air through. Because of this, the drink spoils greatly. The temperature in your bar should not be higher than 24 degrees, otherwise the drink will oxidize. For long- term storage, the temperature can be made lower.
Color nuances
Which wine do you prefer? If red, then be prepared for increased storage requirements. Do not be like hamsters and do not clog your pantry to such an extent that access to wines is difficult. Remember that vibration is bad for wine.
An important factor is the quality of the product. If you save and choose cheaper options, it is unlikely that wine will impress you with its taste. Over time, such a product will not get better, so the issue of storage is no longer relevant.
Do it yourself
Is it possible to store homemade wine? The answer is clear: not only possible, but necessary! It would be strange to make wine for a long time, then to empty all the stocks in a week. But first of all, you need to decide how to make this very wine. It is most common to use grapes for this, although cherry is also popular. It is better to take ripe and whole berries, without the slightest damage, as they may contain pests that may not harm health, but they will significantly spoil the taste of the drink. The second essential ingredient in wine is sugar. It will need a lot, but the drink will be tasty and sweet. And also very drunk, because sweet wines roam a lot.
Fermentation takes time. Ideally, this period of wine should be in tightly closed barrels, but this is not always a real and affordable option. The question arises: can I store homemade wine in plastic bottles? I must say that plastic is not the best packaging option. During long-term storage, it can release harmful substances into the drink and cause oxidation.
It is generally not recommended to store open wine for a long time, but with such a need, you need to use a dark room and low temperature. Sparkling wines are exhausted in about 4 hours. Pink - lose their taste even faster. For them, the maximum shelf life is 3 days. Red wine has the same shelf life. Young wines are stored longer - their taste and aroma only begins to open on the third day. Strong wines can be consumed all week without worrying about deadlines. True, it is better to keep them in the refrigerator, otherwise the wine can go bad and even provoke food poisoning.
How to store homemade wine in an ordinary apartment?
So you got a great drink. Store it at a temperature of +10 degrees, using a suitable container made of natural materials. Homemade wine quickly absorbs odors, so a non-aromatic neighborhood is best eliminated. A precipitate may form at the bottom of the bottle, but in fact it is not bad. It is from this sediment that you can determine the naturalness of the wine.
Where to store homemade wine if you live in an apartment? Ideally, you need a cellar or a refrigerator with a temperature controller, but you hardly have one. Therefore, wines can be stored on the balcony or on a closed loggia. If there is a dressing room, then you can also select a shelf with tightly closing doors. Use a vacuum. To do this, there are special gadgets that pump air from the container. If you perform such manipulations with an open bottle of wine, then the expiration date is counted again.
We refuse plastic
It has already been said that plastic is not always good, but glass containers turn out to be a universal option for storage. The container must be clean, dark and dry. Choose natural plugs so as not to let air in. For sweet wines, the temperature is optimal at 15 degrees, and other wines feel good at 12. Store homemade wine in a bottle for another three weeks after the end of fermentation, so that it ripens to the end. Before serving, the wine should breathe, and the bottle should stand upright. So the taste will be revealed and will be the most saturated.
As easy as pie
Thinking about how to store homemade wine, make calculations among your stocks to know what the drink is based on. For example, raspberry wine can be called quite unpretentious. For cooking, you will need the berry itself, water and sugar. In this case, raspberries need to grind and pour it with syrup. Plug the neck with cotton so that carbon dioxide escapes during fermentation. But the finished wine needs to be plugged with corks, previously dipped in alcohol. Raspberry wine is sweet and strong, and therefore it can be stored longer than other varieties.
The question arises: how to store homemade wine at home? If there is a cellar, then this is an ideal case, but it is better to equip a cabinet there, since excessive dampness can be fatal to the aroma. By the way, a special cabinet for storing homemade wines can be bought. There is an adjustment of temperature and humidity. Thus, you will be ready for each season the corresponding change in temperature conditions.
When tasting
Having figured out how to store homemade wine, it remains to find out how to use it correctly. Treat the drink with respect and care. Even if you consider your experience to be a debut that is not without the right to make a mistake, remember that the product has been infused for some time and its quality may pleasantly surprise you. Return the bottle to an upright position and examine it in the light. Notice the highlight on the lid? The aroma of spoiled drink? Maybe excess sugar came out? Repulsive nuances are not the most pleasant signals. Open the bottle. There may be an unpleasant odor, but this is just a concentrated aroma. Let the blame breathe and you will experience the truth. Pour about a third of the wine into the glass and let it wash the glass. Then, in exactly the same movements, you will roll it in your mouth in order to feel the bouquet. Do not forget about the snack and the rule of its selection from real connoisseurs: the more expensive the drink, the easier the served snack. The universal choice is grapes, white bread, hard cheese without spices.