- Posted by Parmo Rani
- Posted in Food and Drink .
Why do we use olive oil ?
Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids (mainly oleic acid), which, unlike saturated fats, do not adversely affect blood cholestrol levels and may even help to lower them slightly. For those suffering from constipation, take more olive oil often as it helps to lubricate the intestines and eliminate waste from our bodies, thereby curing your constipation.
Olive oil also provides natural antioxidants (called polyphenols) which help to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
Why is olive oil catergorises into different types ?
The flavor of olive oil varies, depending on the source, the variety of olive, the soil conditions, weather, etc. Some of the primary sources come from Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Turkey Portugal, Tunisia, Morocco, and California. Some olive oils are from a single variety of oils, but others, like most Italian oils, are blends of oils from different types of olives and from different countries.
What is the difference among "Virgin", "Extra virgin", "Fine" and "refined" olive oil?
The oil produced from the first pressing of ripe olives is often the purest form, thus is called virgin. Extra virgin simply means an oil from the first pressing that is particularly low in acid - less than 1%. Virgin olive oil may have as much as 4% acid. Fino or fine olive oil is a blend of extra virgin and virgin olive oils, with an acid content not above 3%.
To squeeze more oil from the ripe olives, modern extraction methods of pressure, heat and chemical solvents are applied. These refined oils may be blended with virgin oil to replace some of the flavor lost in the processing, and are sold as pure olive oil or just olive oil.
In some countries, you may also stumble upon light olive oil, which is not lower in calories, but which has been so finely filtered as to remove most of its color and fragrance (and flavor). It has a higher smoke point than the other types of olive oil, though, so it is well suited to high-temperature frying.
For the best qualities, we should go for the "Virgin" or "Extra virgin" olive oil because they have a fruity and rich flavour, wouldn't turn rancid so fast and are more easily digestible than refined oil.
For nutritional values, they are the same. But, extra virgin oil which is low in acidity level contains more antioxidants.
Where is olive oil used?
Compared with other vegetable oils, only olive oil has enough flavour to replace butter and margarine for a healthier choice. Because of its pure state, extra virgin oil is often used as a dressing in salads or as a dip for breads.
Refined or light olive oil is suitable for deep frying. It may seem pricey to use it to fry food but the fact that such oil is four to five times more heat resistant than vegetable oil would mean you can reuse it to fry foods many more times before the oil begins to break down.
Will olive oil loses its nutritional value when heated ?
Olive oil, when heated at high temperature, will cause its alcohols and esters to evaporate. The esters are what make up the olive oil delicate taste and fragrance. So heat will only change the flavor of olive oil but not its nutritional contents. We recommend you use a cheaper olive oil like refined/light oil for frying and then add a more flavorful olive oil after cooking.
Will the food be any lesser in nutritions if cooked in olive oil ?
Heating food will break down its nutritional value. High heat such as frying is worse than moderate heat such as steaming, which is worse than eating vegetables raw. It is not the cooking oil per se, but the high heat of frying.
Most nutritionists recommend lightly steaming vegetables or eating them raw. A touch of a flavorsome olive oil added at the table will add taste and healthful anti-oxidants. This is what "Mediterranean diet" is about, which has been shown to help prevent coronary disease and have other health benefits.
How to store Olive oil ?
Keep away from heat, ie the stove, to prevent ageing of the oil. Better to keep a large container in a dark, cool cupboard and pour a small amount into a dispenser for everyday use. The container can be made of plastic, stainless or tinted glass.
Alternatively, you can store oil in the refrigerator or freezer, which will greatly extend its shelf life. Do not worry about the crystallized waxes in the oil when chilled. All you have to do is to warm the oil back to room temperature to melt it.
Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids (mainly oleic acid), which, unlike saturated fats, do not adversely affect blood cholestrol levels and may even help to lower them slightly. For those suffering from constipation, take more olive oil often as it helps to lubricate the intestines and eliminate waste from our bodies, thereby curing your constipation.
Olive oil also provides natural antioxidants (called polyphenols) which help to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
Why is olive oil catergorises into different types ?
The flavor of olive oil varies, depending on the source, the variety of olive, the soil conditions, weather, etc. Some of the primary sources come from Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Turkey Portugal, Tunisia, Morocco, and California. Some olive oils are from a single variety of oils, but others, like most Italian oils, are blends of oils from different types of olives and from different countries.
What is the difference among "Virgin", "Extra virgin", "Fine" and "refined" olive oil?
The oil produced from the first pressing of ripe olives is often the purest form, thus is called virgin. Extra virgin simply means an oil from the first pressing that is particularly low in acid - less than 1%. Virgin olive oil may have as much as 4% acid. Fino or fine olive oil is a blend of extra virgin and virgin olive oils, with an acid content not above 3%.
To squeeze more oil from the ripe olives, modern extraction methods of pressure, heat and chemical solvents are applied. These refined oils may be blended with virgin oil to replace some of the flavor lost in the processing, and are sold as pure olive oil or just olive oil.
In some countries, you may also stumble upon light olive oil, which is not lower in calories, but which has been so finely filtered as to remove most of its color and fragrance (and flavor). It has a higher smoke point than the other types of olive oil, though, so it is well suited to high-temperature frying.
For the best qualities, we should go for the "Virgin" or "Extra virgin" olive oil because they have a fruity and rich flavour, wouldn't turn rancid so fast and are more easily digestible than refined oil.
For nutritional values, they are the same. But, extra virgin oil which is low in acidity level contains more antioxidants.
Where is olive oil used?
Compared with other vegetable oils, only olive oil has enough flavour to replace butter and margarine for a healthier choice. Because of its pure state, extra virgin oil is often used as a dressing in salads or as a dip for breads.
Refined or light olive oil is suitable for deep frying. It may seem pricey to use it to fry food but the fact that such oil is four to five times more heat resistant than vegetable oil would mean you can reuse it to fry foods many more times before the oil begins to break down.
Will olive oil loses its nutritional value when heated ?
Olive oil, when heated at high temperature, will cause its alcohols and esters to evaporate. The esters are what make up the olive oil delicate taste and fragrance. So heat will only change the flavor of olive oil but not its nutritional contents. We recommend you use a cheaper olive oil like refined/light oil for frying and then add a more flavorful olive oil after cooking.
Will the food be any lesser in nutritions if cooked in olive oil ?
Heating food will break down its nutritional value. High heat such as frying is worse than moderate heat such as steaming, which is worse than eating vegetables raw. It is not the cooking oil per se, but the high heat of frying.
Most nutritionists recommend lightly steaming vegetables or eating them raw. A touch of a flavorsome olive oil added at the table will add taste and healthful anti-oxidants. This is what "Mediterranean diet" is about, which has been shown to help prevent coronary disease and have other health benefits.
How to store Olive oil ?
Keep away from heat, ie the stove, to prevent ageing of the oil. Better to keep a large container in a dark, cool cupboard and pour a small amount into a dispenser for everyday use. The container can be made of plastic, stainless or tinted glass.
Alternatively, you can store oil in the refrigerator or freezer, which will greatly extend its shelf life. Do not worry about the crystallized waxes in the oil when chilled. All you have to do is to warm the oil back to room temperature to melt it.
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- Posted by Parmo Rani
- Posted in Food and Drink .
Before we get all excited over the recent news about coffee being our new antioxidant, we need to take a look at the entire picture. Is there truly a coffee antioxidant? If there is, how exactly is coffee an antioxidant? Does it become the antioxidant when it's heated? Does the coffee antioxidant benefit everyone? Are there still dangers to drinking coffee? How much coffee is good for us and when does it become bad for us?
Brewed coffee contains many antioxidants and consumption of antioxidant-rich brewed coffee may inhibit diseases caused by oxidative damages. Antioxidants are said to be an inhibitor of certain types of diseases. However, coffee beans are not all a like. Not all coffee beans are of the same quality or even the same make up. Sort of like comparing tennis shoes to sandals. Both go on your feet, but they are not made up of the same components. You can actually break coffee down into several different water-soluble components. The dietary fiber derived from roasted coffee silverskin. This is one component of the coffee bean that has high antioxidant content. This is how the scientists find out about the antioxidant benfits of coffee in their studies. What they do in fact is the break down the coffee beans into different components. They filter out the components that the coffee antioxidant is found in, and then they test lab rats in a variety of experiments to determine how well they survive with or without the various additives in their diet. When they discover something really swell, like a coffee antioxidant, our culture of coffee drinking addicts suddenly becomes a feverorish mob.
For years and years we've heard bad things about coffee. For example: it's bad for your heart, increases blood pressure, may cause breast cancer, probably keeps you awake at night, and my personal favorite, has a poisonous gas when brewed.When the world of coffee addicts even gets a tiny hint that coffee could have something beneficial, believe me they don't just drink more coffee, they try to get everyone to join them. So, here we now have scientific studies proving to us that coffee has antioxidants.
Researchers have identified several compounds in coffee that create a coffee antioxidant. Why would this be of interest to us? Because scientific studies are showing that antioxidants may help prevent cancer. You see the connection here. However, until human studies are done, science cannot state exactly how much coffee must be consumed in order gain this protection against colon cancer or any other type of cancer. Before the coffee is roasted the antioxidant benefits are varied. However, once the coffee is roasted and served as a drink things get evened out. They all seem to have the same degrees of antioxidants.
Some studies suggest coffee having other benefits such as added fertility in men and some benefits for those suffering from diabetes. You'll have to read those studies on your own. The fact that a coffee antioxidant exists may be true, but the reality is that coffee can be just as harmful if your body doesn't like it, if you consume too much, if you have high blood pressure, and if it keeps you awake at night. Is there truly a coffee antioxidant? Yes, but the actual amount needed to be consumed in order to receive the anti-cancer benefits by humans is unknown. How exactly is coffee an antioxidant?
Coffee alone isn't the antioxidant, it's several different components that are part of the coffee bean. Roasting and heating the coffee changes the total antioxidant output. Does it become the antioxidant when it's heated? It seems that although some coffee beans like green coffee beans may be higher in antioxidants that other more common beans, once they are roasted and heated for consumption, the results are the same regarding the antioxidantal benefits. Does the coffee antioxidant benefit everyone? Honestly, this is NOT a question easily answered. In fact, the truth is it is still unknown just how beneficial coffee antioxidants are for humans. Are there still dangers to drinking coffee? Yes, of course there is. If you have high blood pressure and you have seen how coffee enhances this problem, you know it's bad for YOU personally. If you can't get proper sleep or you drive everyone around you nuts because you can't sit still or shut-up, you know coffee is bad for you.
Use common sense and listen to your body. Coffee is not good for everyone and unknown just how good for anyone. How much coffee is good for us and when does it become bad for us? Again drink coffee in moderation, pay attention to your own body. Exercise and good eating habits are a far better way to get healthy than drinking 10 cups of cappuccino a day. All things in moderation. After reading everything about this new thing called a coffee antioxidant I have decided that there are better ways of getting antioxidants into my blood.
Coffee may have many benefits, but so does water and it is possible to drown from drinking too much water. Yes, I know, you have to really drink a lot to accomplish this, but it's the principle of the matter. Too much of anything is not a good thing.
Brewed coffee contains many antioxidants and consumption of antioxidant-rich brewed coffee may inhibit diseases caused by oxidative damages. Antioxidants are said to be an inhibitor of certain types of diseases. However, coffee beans are not all a like. Not all coffee beans are of the same quality or even the same make up. Sort of like comparing tennis shoes to sandals. Both go on your feet, but they are not made up of the same components. You can actually break coffee down into several different water-soluble components. The dietary fiber derived from roasted coffee silverskin. This is one component of the coffee bean that has high antioxidant content. This is how the scientists find out about the antioxidant benfits of coffee in their studies. What they do in fact is the break down the coffee beans into different components. They filter out the components that the coffee antioxidant is found in, and then they test lab rats in a variety of experiments to determine how well they survive with or without the various additives in their diet. When they discover something really swell, like a coffee antioxidant, our culture of coffee drinking addicts suddenly becomes a feverorish mob.
For years and years we've heard bad things about coffee. For example: it's bad for your heart, increases blood pressure, may cause breast cancer, probably keeps you awake at night, and my personal favorite, has a poisonous gas when brewed.When the world of coffee addicts even gets a tiny hint that coffee could have something beneficial, believe me they don't just drink more coffee, they try to get everyone to join them. So, here we now have scientific studies proving to us that coffee has antioxidants.
Researchers have identified several compounds in coffee that create a coffee antioxidant. Why would this be of interest to us? Because scientific studies are showing that antioxidants may help prevent cancer. You see the connection here. However, until human studies are done, science cannot state exactly how much coffee must be consumed in order gain this protection against colon cancer or any other type of cancer. Before the coffee is roasted the antioxidant benefits are varied. However, once the coffee is roasted and served as a drink things get evened out. They all seem to have the same degrees of antioxidants.
Some studies suggest coffee having other benefits such as added fertility in men and some benefits for those suffering from diabetes. You'll have to read those studies on your own. The fact that a coffee antioxidant exists may be true, but the reality is that coffee can be just as harmful if your body doesn't like it, if you consume too much, if you have high blood pressure, and if it keeps you awake at night. Is there truly a coffee antioxidant? Yes, but the actual amount needed to be consumed in order to receive the anti-cancer benefits by humans is unknown. How exactly is coffee an antioxidant?
Coffee alone isn't the antioxidant, it's several different components that are part of the coffee bean. Roasting and heating the coffee changes the total antioxidant output. Does it become the antioxidant when it's heated? It seems that although some coffee beans like green coffee beans may be higher in antioxidants that other more common beans, once they are roasted and heated for consumption, the results are the same regarding the antioxidantal benefits. Does the coffee antioxidant benefit everyone? Honestly, this is NOT a question easily answered. In fact, the truth is it is still unknown just how beneficial coffee antioxidants are for humans. Are there still dangers to drinking coffee? Yes, of course there is. If you have high blood pressure and you have seen how coffee enhances this problem, you know it's bad for YOU personally. If you can't get proper sleep or you drive everyone around you nuts because you can't sit still or shut-up, you know coffee is bad for you.
Use common sense and listen to your body. Coffee is not good for everyone and unknown just how good for anyone. How much coffee is good for us and when does it become bad for us? Again drink coffee in moderation, pay attention to your own body. Exercise and good eating habits are a far better way to get healthy than drinking 10 cups of cappuccino a day. All things in moderation. After reading everything about this new thing called a coffee antioxidant I have decided that there are better ways of getting antioxidants into my blood.
Coffee may have many benefits, but so does water and it is possible to drown from drinking too much water. Yes, I know, you have to really drink a lot to accomplish this, but it's the principle of the matter. Too much of anything is not a good thing.
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- Posted by Anonymous
- Posted in Food and Drink .
I met the managing director of Desire Tree International, Biddut K. Roy, and discovered the wonderful taste of their health bars (also known as nutrition or energy bars) under the trade name of "Wonderbar".
In my conversation with Mr. Roy, I asked how he became involved in manufacturing such a wonderful food product. Mr. Roy replied, "I grew up preparing and serving healthy food to others...it is traditional as well as a good deed so my inclination was there."
He further explained, "As for manufacturing food items, several years ago I took care of a business for friends and later I felt inclined to do something with my own team--with the scope to develop and grow a unique company.
I was disappointed that many "energy bars", "health bars" or "nutrition bars" in the market are too bland for the consumers to be inspired about. Even parents expressed that they cannot get their children to eat them. Knowing this, our team wanted to make natural, healthy, tasty and nutritious health bars."
Formulating the Wonderbar
I sampled several Wonderbars made by "Desire Tree International" and WOW!, the products are very tasty and satisfying. The combinations are excellent with fresh nuts and dried fruits carefully prepared and packaged. An excellent product!
Mr. Roy went on to tell me, "My new partners and I worked for weeks and months formulating the product with different combinations of ingredients. We use only the finest, highest quality ingredients that are natural, free of chemical additives, without GMO, free from allergy causing substances as well as no added sugar.
We looked at many sweeteners and decided that honey would be the best ingredient. It is energy giving, naturally healthy, plus the taste is great. We worked with food nutritionists and studied necessary food guideline information to work out the food value, prepare and print wrappers, boxes, and acquire machines for proper mixing. We rented a suitable premise, registered our company and took care of the many details required to open our licensed company, "Desire Tree International."
After extensive preparations were made, we were finally ready with a line- of products in eight flavors: cashew almond pineapple, almond apple cranberry, pistachio apple, hazel date almond protein, almond apple ginger, pumpkin seeds sesame raisin, and macadamia pineapple. You can visit our website and check out our tasty and pleasing product choices at: http://www.wonderenergybar.com."
Entering and establishing Wonderbar Nutrition bar in a crowded market:
Biddut was very down to earth in letting me know the struggles of trying to establish the product in today's market. He said, "I knew that trying to market our product was going to take a lot of work. We started telephone marketing to health stores and participated in some health products shows but we were not getting anywhere fast. People told us our product is very good--some say it was the best in the market, although we had limited budget to work with. It was an uphill battle and I realized having a product is not a formula for success. It is one thing to have a great product but to be able to enter the market and compete with established brand-name products is success.
We kept sending samples to major stores, distributors, chain stores and building our direct sales. Finally, COSTCO Wholesalers approved our product for in store roadshows. People sampled our products and started buying from day one. That gave us a big break."
Encouraging Feedbacks
Biddut showed me many favorable responses he has been receiving from happy and satisfied customers who have sampled the company's products.
"It's the absolute best food bar I've ever eaten. Keep up the good work!"
"I bought a box of your bars this past weekend at Costco. They're fabulous! I love how fresh they are. I have tried 3 flavors so far and like them all."
"As soon as I tried the first bar, I loved it. This is by far the best fruit and nut bar I have ever tasted. Thank you so much for such a great product!"
"I just tried your Pumpkin Sesame Raisin Bar today for the first time and Loved It!!! Congratulations on a Great Product!"
"These macadamia pineapple bars are AWESOME! I love the crunchy factor and also that I can truly taste the goodness!"
"Those Wonder Bars are the best bars in existence today. Can I sell them on my website?"
It is very satisfying
Biddut said, "It is very satisfying to know people have received valuable food and loved it. Since they are inspired, I am sure they will also tell others."
"Please check it out for yourself. I assure you, Wonderbars are an excellent product." http://www.wonderenergybar.com.
In my conversation with Mr. Roy, I asked how he became involved in manufacturing such a wonderful food product. Mr. Roy replied, "I grew up preparing and serving healthy food to others...it is traditional as well as a good deed so my inclination was there."
He further explained, "As for manufacturing food items, several years ago I took care of a business for friends and later I felt inclined to do something with my own team--with the scope to develop and grow a unique company.
I was disappointed that many "energy bars", "health bars" or "nutrition bars" in the market are too bland for the consumers to be inspired about. Even parents expressed that they cannot get their children to eat them. Knowing this, our team wanted to make natural, healthy, tasty and nutritious health bars."
Formulating the Wonderbar
I sampled several Wonderbars made by "Desire Tree International" and WOW!, the products are very tasty and satisfying. The combinations are excellent with fresh nuts and dried fruits carefully prepared and packaged. An excellent product!
Mr. Roy went on to tell me, "My new partners and I worked for weeks and months formulating the product with different combinations of ingredients. We use only the finest, highest quality ingredients that are natural, free of chemical additives, without GMO, free from allergy causing substances as well as no added sugar.
We looked at many sweeteners and decided that honey would be the best ingredient. It is energy giving, naturally healthy, plus the taste is great. We worked with food nutritionists and studied necessary food guideline information to work out the food value, prepare and print wrappers, boxes, and acquire machines for proper mixing. We rented a suitable premise, registered our company and took care of the many details required to open our licensed company, "Desire Tree International."
After extensive preparations were made, we were finally ready with a line- of products in eight flavors: cashew almond pineapple, almond apple cranberry, pistachio apple, hazel date almond protein, almond apple ginger, pumpkin seeds sesame raisin, and macadamia pineapple. You can visit our website and check out our tasty and pleasing product choices at: http://www.wonderenergybar.com."
Entering and establishing Wonderbar Nutrition bar in a crowded market:
Biddut was very down to earth in letting me know the struggles of trying to establish the product in today's market. He said, "I knew that trying to market our product was going to take a lot of work. We started telephone marketing to health stores and participated in some health products shows but we were not getting anywhere fast. People told us our product is very good--some say it was the best in the market, although we had limited budget to work with. It was an uphill battle and I realized having a product is not a formula for success. It is one thing to have a great product but to be able to enter the market and compete with established brand-name products is success.
We kept sending samples to major stores, distributors, chain stores and building our direct sales. Finally, COSTCO Wholesalers approved our product for in store roadshows. People sampled our products and started buying from day one. That gave us a big break."
Encouraging Feedbacks
Biddut showed me many favorable responses he has been receiving from happy and satisfied customers who have sampled the company's products.
"It's the absolute best food bar I've ever eaten. Keep up the good work!"
"I bought a box of your bars this past weekend at Costco. They're fabulous! I love how fresh they are. I have tried 3 flavors so far and like them all."
"As soon as I tried the first bar, I loved it. This is by far the best fruit and nut bar I have ever tasted. Thank you so much for such a great product!"
"I just tried your Pumpkin Sesame Raisin Bar today for the first time and Loved It!!! Congratulations on a Great Product!"
"These macadamia pineapple bars are AWESOME! I love the crunchy factor and also that I can truly taste the goodness!"
"Those Wonder Bars are the best bars in existence today. Can I sell them on my website?"
It is very satisfying
Biddut said, "It is very satisfying to know people have received valuable food and loved it. Since they are inspired, I am sure they will also tell others."
"Please check it out for yourself. I assure you, Wonderbars are an excellent product." http://www.wonderenergybar.com.
0 comment | leave yours ?
- Posted by Anonymous
- Posted in Food and Drink .
So, you love wine, you've bought a few of your favorite bottles and you store them in a wine rack on your counter or on top of your refrigerator. Then one day your friend brings you a bottle and you get another bottle for a gift and you begin to run out of room on your counter. Then you begin thinking...where is the best place to store my wine. Most wine lovers have seen the day that requires graduating from a couple bottles in a rack to coming up with some sort of system to sort, store, and keep wine accessible. The following are some tips for keeping your wine healthy and tasting good long-term.
Wine is best stored under cool, dark, airy conditions, free from vibration, odors and dampness. A cellar need not be under the house. The single most important factor is temperature stability. Wines stored where the temperature varies gradually with the seasons are better off than wines stored in a room which is heated during the day and then allowed to cool to winter temperatures at night.
The ideal cellar temperature is 12-15oC(53-59F) with a relative humidity of 65-75%. It is worthwhile using a thermometer to monitor summer temperatures. It may be a cause for concern if the cellar temperature goes much over 18oC(64F), as warm conditions will accelerate the development of your wines, possibly reducing the pleasure to be had from them.
Store wine on its side, ideally with the neck sloping slightly upwards so that the cork remains wet, the bubble of air is in the shoulder and any sediment will collect at the bottom of the bottle. This will make the wine easier to decant. Place the bottle with the label facing up or use written neck tags so you do not disturb a wine to identify it. Align the bottles so that the corks are visible - this will allow easy inspection for problems such as leakage.
Depending on the size of your cellar and your budget, your wines can be stored in either racks or boxes. There are various racking and storage systems available ranging from metal individual bottle storage racks through to custom-built wooden systems. Cardboard cartons in which wines are packed provide efficient insulation and also protect the wine from light. Another alternative, albeit an expensive one, is specially designed styrene boxes, which provide excellent insulation and double as wine racks.
Air conditioning and refrigeration may effectively reduce temperatures but will also reduce humidity causing cork shrinkage. Buckets filled with water and regularly topped up will usually solve this problem. Alternatively, several companies now offer cellaring cabinets of varying sizes, that are, effectively, modified refrigerators with humidity control and these same companies can also supply humidity control units for rooms.
It is important to note that your wines will mature more quickly if your cellaring conditions are not ideal. If you are like me, you have more everyday style wine in your cellar than anything. These wines are better to drink quickly rather than store for years and years. However, proper storage conditions will keep your wine from spoiling too quick and you may be surprised with the excellent aging results you achieve with some higher end or more complex styles such as Bordeaux or Pinot Noir/Burgundy. Try asking your local wine merchant to suggest some wines for you that age well and have fun starting a collection of age worthy wine to go with your everyday wine.
Wine is best stored under cool, dark, airy conditions, free from vibration, odors and dampness. A cellar need not be under the house. The single most important factor is temperature stability. Wines stored where the temperature varies gradually with the seasons are better off than wines stored in a room which is heated during the day and then allowed to cool to winter temperatures at night.
The ideal cellar temperature is 12-15oC(53-59F) with a relative humidity of 65-75%. It is worthwhile using a thermometer to monitor summer temperatures. It may be a cause for concern if the cellar temperature goes much over 18oC(64F), as warm conditions will accelerate the development of your wines, possibly reducing the pleasure to be had from them.
Store wine on its side, ideally with the neck sloping slightly upwards so that the cork remains wet, the bubble of air is in the shoulder and any sediment will collect at the bottom of the bottle. This will make the wine easier to decant. Place the bottle with the label facing up or use written neck tags so you do not disturb a wine to identify it. Align the bottles so that the corks are visible - this will allow easy inspection for problems such as leakage.
Depending on the size of your cellar and your budget, your wines can be stored in either racks or boxes. There are various racking and storage systems available ranging from metal individual bottle storage racks through to custom-built wooden systems. Cardboard cartons in which wines are packed provide efficient insulation and also protect the wine from light. Another alternative, albeit an expensive one, is specially designed styrene boxes, which provide excellent insulation and double as wine racks.
Air conditioning and refrigeration may effectively reduce temperatures but will also reduce humidity causing cork shrinkage. Buckets filled with water and regularly topped up will usually solve this problem. Alternatively, several companies now offer cellaring cabinets of varying sizes, that are, effectively, modified refrigerators with humidity control and these same companies can also supply humidity control units for rooms.
It is important to note that your wines will mature more quickly if your cellaring conditions are not ideal. If you are like me, you have more everyday style wine in your cellar than anything. These wines are better to drink quickly rather than store for years and years. However, proper storage conditions will keep your wine from spoiling too quick and you may be surprised with the excellent aging results you achieve with some higher end or more complex styles such as Bordeaux or Pinot Noir/Burgundy. Try asking your local wine merchant to suggest some wines for you that age well and have fun starting a collection of age worthy wine to go with your everyday wine.
0 comment | leave yours ?
- Posted by Anonymous
- Posted in Food and Drink .
No matter what you may have heard elsewhere, buying good wines cheaply is easy. Simply follow these useful tips and you’ll be well on the way to finding great value wines without compromising quality.
Firstly, always “back the little guy”. By this, we mean hunting down small, boutique wineries, which don’t have large advertising budgets to convince you to buy their wines, or cash to buy space on supermarket shelves. Instead, the only way that they can get their wines noticed is to ensure that the quality is of a very high standard. Wines of this type can be bought from retailers who support small producers.
When looking for a decent, cheap wine, a good tip is to seek out less fashionable regions. The wine trade is obsessed with fashion and the result of this can be a compromise in quality. Wine estates in Bordeaux and California for example, are often more known for their investments by millionaires, rather than the wine itself. So to enjoy good wines without the fashion tag, you should search out the retailers who source their wines from places that make similar wines. Chilean Cabernet Merlot is a good alternative to Bordeaux, while Grenache/Syrah blends are a perfect substitute to Chateauneuf du Pape and Chilean Chardonnay is to Chablis. And don’t forget New World fizz if you are looking for a cheaper alternative to Champagne.
Another useful hint is to avoid wine brands and heavily advertised wines. Why? Well, large brand wines are produced in significant volumes, using mass production techniques, and as winemakers look to achieve consistency, they compromise quality by using artificial processes such as adding sugars and adding citric acid to their wines. In addition, they heavily promote and market their wines, meaning that significant mark ups are likely.
Similarly, big name bargains are a definite no no. Although, through their buying power, supermarkets and large wine retailers can force producers to sell wines at incredibly low prices, they can only do this at the expense of the quality of the wine. To make ends meet, producers will be forced to plant on land that isn’t good enough to bear the region’s name or worse, they will increase yields and dilute the wines. So while a bottle of Chablis for a fiver may sound great, we guarantee that it will leave you feeling disappointed!
Finally, make sure that you buy your wine from an online wine retailer. Online wine retailers will offer you far better value for money compared to supermarkets and ordinary merchants, as they don’t incur many of the building costs, which are then passed on to you, the customer. Also, as online retailers aren’t restricted by shelf space, they can offer an unlimited range of wines that ordinary merchants don’t necessarily have space for.
Firstly, always “back the little guy”. By this, we mean hunting down small, boutique wineries, which don’t have large advertising budgets to convince you to buy their wines, or cash to buy space on supermarket shelves. Instead, the only way that they can get their wines noticed is to ensure that the quality is of a very high standard. Wines of this type can be bought from retailers who support small producers.
When looking for a decent, cheap wine, a good tip is to seek out less fashionable regions. The wine trade is obsessed with fashion and the result of this can be a compromise in quality. Wine estates in Bordeaux and California for example, are often more known for their investments by millionaires, rather than the wine itself. So to enjoy good wines without the fashion tag, you should search out the retailers who source their wines from places that make similar wines. Chilean Cabernet Merlot is a good alternative to Bordeaux, while Grenache/Syrah blends are a perfect substitute to Chateauneuf du Pape and Chilean Chardonnay is to Chablis. And don’t forget New World fizz if you are looking for a cheaper alternative to Champagne.
Another useful hint is to avoid wine brands and heavily advertised wines. Why? Well, large brand wines are produced in significant volumes, using mass production techniques, and as winemakers look to achieve consistency, they compromise quality by using artificial processes such as adding sugars and adding citric acid to their wines. In addition, they heavily promote and market their wines, meaning that significant mark ups are likely.
Similarly, big name bargains are a definite no no. Although, through their buying power, supermarkets and large wine retailers can force producers to sell wines at incredibly low prices, they can only do this at the expense of the quality of the wine. To make ends meet, producers will be forced to plant on land that isn’t good enough to bear the region’s name or worse, they will increase yields and dilute the wines. So while a bottle of Chablis for a fiver may sound great, we guarantee that it will leave you feeling disappointed!
Finally, make sure that you buy your wine from an online wine retailer. Online wine retailers will offer you far better value for money compared to supermarkets and ordinary merchants, as they don’t incur many of the building costs, which are then passed on to you, the customer. Also, as online retailers aren’t restricted by shelf space, they can offer an unlimited range of wines that ordinary merchants don’t necessarily have space for.
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