Santa Margherita

No more running out at the last minute to buy a bottle of wine just before dinner. No more splendid meals accompanied by a mixed array of bottles (which are usually good, too) brought by the guests. The time has come to make up your own cellar. It only needs to be a small one but, if you give at least some thought to the quality and types of wine you purchase, it will be enough to ensure that you have a collection that is always ready to accompany the most important gastronomic occasions or just enable you to enjoy a simple evening with friends.

Which wines to choose
The most enjoyable moment is choosing the wines to put in your cellar. Always try to taste the wines you intend to buy and try to buy at least six bottles: this will guarantee you a sufficient stock and you can always uncork another bottle if your guests ask for it. It is also interesting to see how a wine evolves over time and so really understand its value in overall terms. It is best not to keep large stocks of wine that should be drunk young and have no potential for aging. On the other hand, important wines that can bear a certain amount of bottle-aging should be checked periodically.
Wine is a living thing: it too goes through the phases of youth, maturity and old age, periods which can be short or long and which depend on many factors. It therefore becomes very important to monitor your wine so as to understand when and how to drink it. It can be a shocking experience to drink a wine which is too old. Uncorking a bottle which is too young, on the other hand, is only a minor error and easily put right.
A further note: do not be “selfish” and only follow your personal preferences. Those who enjoy inviting friends would do better to have a broad, diverse range of wines, including types of wine suitable for all sorts of occasions and dishes, from appetizers to dessert.

The right place
It is always better to keep wine underground, but not all cellars are suitable for this purpose. Mold-covered walls – along with cobwebs and dust - may suggest an atmosphere of romantic antiquity, but for real wine-lovers they are a clear sign of excessive damp. To prevent any problems and especially to protect the labels, you can wrap the bottles in cling film.
Bear in mind that the worst damage to wine is caused by sudden fluctuations in temperature. Ideal conditions for maturation are between 15°-20°C. Letting light into the cellar, as well as excessive humidity and vibration (even from loud noises), can do equal harm.
There is an old saying – but still a true one – that in an ideal cellar more water should flow than wine. This merely confirms that a cellar needs to be kept very clean. The bottles should be taken from their case, cleaned with a dry cloth and laid down in a horizontal position. The wine has in fact to remain in contact with the cork; if this does not happen the cork may dry out and no longer guarantee a tight seal. The wine racks that are readily available in the shops nowadays are very useful for storing your bottles: they are relatively inexpensive and take up little space. When choosing wine racks, bear in mind that each bottle weighs around 1.5 kg.
Good cellar management calls for you to place the white wines lower down in the racks, where the temperature is lower, and the reds higher up where it is warmer. This means that the wines will be kept at a temperature that is closer to that at which they should be served.