Wine Culture

Age worthy wines need time to reach their plenitude. Wine is a live substance which develops sublime transformations during its stay in the bottle.

Sheltered from oxygen, the aromas and flavours coming from the grapes integrate with those resulting from its elaboration and those provided by the wood when it is bred in oak barrels.

To keep and develop completely its qualities wine needs:

- An enviroment protected from light
- Controlled temperature round 15°C
- 70% humidity average
- Ventilation to avoid fungus formation.

During ageing process wine matures, becomes kind and complex, with all its components handsomely integrated.

Wine temperature has a great influence on our olfactory and tasting impressions for according to their level its aromas and flavours may be exalted or neutralized.

Suggested temperature levels for serving wine:

Light white and sparkling wines
Rosé and white with oak wines
Fortified and natural sweet wines
Light red wines
Red tannic wines
Ageing red wines

8 - 10º C
10 - 12º C
10 - 14º C
14 - 16º C
16 - 18° C
18º C

The sensory pleasure wine cause is far greater when drunk from an adequate glass.

It is recommendable to use plain fine crystal glasses, which make the shades and reflections of wine perfectly visible.

To appreciate its aroma, the glass used must be of an adequate volume, higher than broader and slightly elliptical.

The body of the glass should be separated from the foot by a thin stem which allows us to hold it without heating the wine.

It is convenient to fill only one third of the glass capacity so as to establish an air chamber above the wine where all the aromas may concentrate.

Specially designed glasses are used for each type of wine, so as to optimize evaporation of its aromatic elements and lead the wine to the mouth zones where its flavours can be best appreciated.

In general, for young fruity wines the volume of the glass should be smaller than for those more structured, with complex and voluptuous aromas. For sparkling wines a tulip shaped glass, slim and long allows a better appreciation of their scents and bubble formation.

There is a standardized tasting glass, designed with the object of analyzing and qualifying the organoleptic properties of wine.

Glass Washing

Glasses should preferably be washed in hot water. To eliminate stains or grease remains it is advisable to use alcohol or neutral soap instead of perfumed detergents.
To dry them, the best is to let them drip upside down and then store them in an odourless display cabinet.

Not every wine improves its quality through time. Age cannot provide qualities a wine never had. Thus to start a wine cellar it is mandatory to identify those wines which will benefit from ageing.

The ageing capacity of wines depends on the producer, the grape variety, the region where it is grown, the harvest and the condition in which it is stored. Likewise, a high alcoholic strength and breeding within oak barrels constitute longevity factors.

Light white and rosé wines: preferably drunk during their first year in the market. They are appreciated in their youth while all their refreshing acidity and fruity intensity still subsists.
Sparkling wines: those which the year of harvest is not indicated don’t improve in bottle and are drunk in their youth. There are sparkling wines of special harvest that endure some years of storing, from 5 to 7 depending on the year and zone where they are grown (generally identified with expressions as “millésimé” or “vintage”).
White wines fermented and/or bred in oak barrels: can be kept or improved from 3 to 4 years. Oak provides volume and “creaminess” to wine which will develop more complex aromas and flavours. In some cases they reach their plenitude after a decade (e.g. wines of the Cóte d’Or in Bourgogne, France).
Natural sweet wines or late harvest: can bear a stay of several years due to their higher concentration and good alcoholic degree. These wines which are made from over ripe grapes have high residual sugar content.

Light red wines: offer their plenitude during the first and second year in the market, when all their freshness and fruity intensity still subsists.

Ageing red wines: evolve favourably during several years or decades. They live longer due to a higher structure and concentration provided by noble tannins, proceeding from the grapes and an extended stay in oak barrels.