FAQ

Ideally wine should be stored in a dedicated fridge that provides the following conditions:

Temperature

We recommend setting your cabinet at 12°C or above. If set too cold during warm humid weather you may experience condensation. When stocking the fridge try not to leave the bottom half of the cabinet empty as this can cause temperature fluctuations.

Red: 12 to 14 °C
White: 8 to 10 °C

Light

Ultra-violet rays accelerate the aging process and can taint the taste and colour of the wine through the action of free radicals. Vinvautz wine cellars are equipped with double- layer UV protective glass protecting the wines from these harmful rays.

Humidity

Surplus humidity shrinks the cork allowing air and bacteria to enter the wine causing significant deterioration. Conversely, insufficient moisture provokes evaporation of the wine. To achieveideal humidity, choose a setting between 55%- 75%, which is possible with Vinvautz innovative hydrating system.

Vibrations

Vibrations disturb wines, which require a tranquil environment thus Vinvautz installed the latest TE™ technology providing vibration-free cooling and in addition absorbs any exterior shock.

Others

Some guidelines for optimum wine storage:

• Fill the cabinet from the bottom up evenly spreading the wine across all the shelves.
• Lay the bottles flat
• Do not cross contaminate, solely store wine ensuring the environment is odor free

Cabernet Sauvignon

The mainstay of Bordeaux, and thus responsible for making some of the best red wines in the world, Cabernet Sauvignon is indeed considered the world's superior grape. A small dark berry with a thick skin which produces deeply coloured wines, it is noted for its high tannin content, which is what allows wine to mature. It grows extremely well in California, Chile, and in parts of Australia.

Pinot Noir

Otherwise known as the "heartbreak" grape because of its unsteady temperament, Pinot Noir makes some of the best wines in the world - the reds of Burgundy. It produces pale-coloured wines redolent with red fruits (cherries, strawberries), floral notes (violet, rose) and some savoury, earthy notes.

Merlot

Associated with the great wines of Pomerol and St-Emilion, where it is blended with a little Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, Merlot is today hugely popular throughout the world, and is often bottled as a single varietal. In the New World it makes wines showing sweetness of fruit and smoothness of texture.

Syrah (Shiraz)

Today's most fashionable red grape, Syrah, from the Rhone, is capable of being transformed into big, powerful, deeply coloured wines with dark fruit characters and a marvelous black pepper aroma (Hermitage), but also wines of great elegance (Cote Rotie). When fully ripe, it responds well to new oak. As Shiraz, as it is broadly referred to in the New World, its natural habitat is Australia.

Grenache

The most important grape in the blending of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Grenache is enjoying something of a renaissance. With its thick trunks and upright growth, it is well-suited to traditional bush growing methods in hot, dry and windy vineyards. It generally produces rich wines with good fruit and more than a hint of sweetness, balancing out its often high volume of alcohol.

Chardonnay

The grape does not show particularly distinctive aromas or flavours of its own, but can stand up to lots of new oak - which only adds to its popularity, particularly with the sweetness the oak brings. Top Chardonnay, from Burgundy, tends to reflect terroir as much as anything, in the production of dry, full-bodied and almost savoury wines. Basic Chardonnay from the New World tends to be a little fruity.

Sauvignon Blanc

The grape's original home is Bordeaux, where it is blended with Semillon to make fabulous dry whites and world-famous sweet Sauternes. It also grows well in the Loire, producing Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. The grape's most distinctive characteristic is its powerful aromas, usually described as grassy, nettles, tomcat and gooseberries. Outside of France, it tends to take on more fruit characters.

Riesling

Thanks to the hardness of its wood, Riesling is particularly resistant to cold, making it the natural choice of cool-climate wine regions. Though it does need to be grown on sheltered slopes, a long and slow ripening period suits it best. It thrives on the steep slopes above the Rhine river in Germany, but in warmer regions tends to produce a rather flabby wine. It can be transformed into a spectrum of styles, from refreshingly dry to gloriously sweet.

When pouring wine, glasses should never be filled to the top. Too much wine in the glass and it is impossible to swirl the liquid to release aroma. Wine will also heat up in the glass, altering its taste. A standard 0.75 litre bottle will pour 5 nice healthy glasses.

Red wines usually benefit from being opened ahead of serving time, by as much as an hour depending on the wine. Whites on the other hand prefer to be opened just prior or at serving time to retain their chill.

Red: 10°C (for a light red) to 18°C
White: 7 to 10°C