A lot of people think that all wines taste better when allowed to age. The fact is, some wines can be enjoyed immediately after purchase, while others should be allowed to mature for some time first. Wines that need to be allowed to age should be kept in a home wine cellar in Los Angeles, California. Learn how to determine whether a certain wine should be cellared or not.

The Purpose of Storing Wines in a Residential Custom Wine Cellar in CA

When people think of wine, they often think of a wine cellar or some storage room to keep them in. Why should wines be stored in a home wine cellar in Los Angeles, California? If you ask around, the common reasons wine enthusiasts cellar wine include:

1. Starting a wine collection to earn money,since the value of wine increases over time.
2. Having a keen interest in a particular wine region or vintage and wanting to stock up.
3. A personal preference for old wine, and wanting to have some to enjoy from time to time.

If you look at these three reasons, there is a common denominator for cellaring wine. The primary purpose of a wine cellar is to provide a safe place for wines to be stored and aged. But not all wines need to be cellared; some wines can be enjoyed immediately after purchase.

4 Characteristics of Wines That Taste Better When Allowed to Age

If you intend to have a residential custom wine cellar, you must know which wines should be allowed to age before drinking, and which wines should not be cellared. Determining whether a wine will age well or not is not an exact science. But generally, wines that age well have 4 characteristics in common. Learn these characteristics, to judge which wines you should keep in your residential custom wine cellar in Los Angeles, CA.

1. Check for Acidity.

Wines that taste better when allowed to age are usually more acidic. As wine is allowed to mature, it slowly loses its acid and flattens out. Wines that are not very acidic will not taste good if allowed to age. Check the label of a wine that you intend to buy, to find out whether it is good to keep in a home custom wine cellar in Los Angeles, California or not.

2. Check for Tannin Content. 

Tannins come from the pips and skins of grapes that were used during wine making. They can also come from oak aging. Many wine experts have observed that wines with higher levels of tannins tend to mature better than wines with lesser tannin content. Tannins break down over time, and therefore wines with higher tannin content taste better when allowed to age. If a certain wine does not have enough tannin to begin with, its flavor will not improve over time.

3. Check for Alcohol Level.

Alcohol is volatile in non-fortified wines. High levels of alcohol in wine cause it to turn to vinegar more quickly. Generally, the lower the level of alcohol in a certain type of wine, the longer the wine will last, and the better it will taste as it ages.

4. Check for Residual Sugar.

A lot of people overlook the sugar content of wines, because these days, aging dry wines is becoming more popular. But according to many wine experts, wines that are sweet, like Port, Sherry, Sauternes and Riesling, are better tasting when allowed to age.

Other Issues That Affect the Aging of Wine

Yes, it is important to determine which wines taste better when allowed to age in a residential custom wine cellar in Los Angeles, California. But besides the wine itself being the right wine to age, there are other things that affect how long a wine should age for (if at all). One of those things is the wine cork.

Wine Corks Affect How Wines Age

The quality of wine corks used in a wine bottle can affect how a wine ages. Even if a wine has all of the characteristics that can make it mature tastefully, if the cork used in its bottling is of poor quality, the wine will still not taste good when allowed to age in a wine cellar. Here are a few things about wine corks that you should know:

1. Where Wine Corks Come From.

Wine corks are made from the bark of the cork tree. The tree is not cut down. Also, only up to half of the tree’s bark is removed at any one time. After highly skilled people remove the bark, it is allowed to grow back. Corks, therefore, are a more eco-friendly option to sealing wine bottles compared to plastic bottle stoppers.

2. The Sustainability of Corks.

Aside from cork, there are different kinds of materials used for wine bottle stoppers, like plastic and aluminum. Plastic is not biodegradable, while aluminum takes a lot of energy to manufacture. Although cork is not a perfect product, it has been proven to stand very well against synthetic closures, in terms of sustainability and environmental impact.

Top Wine Cellar Designer and Builder in Los Angeles, California

If you plan to start your own wine collection of wines that will taste better when allowed to age, you must have a residential custom wine cellar built in your own home. There are many wine cellar construction companies in California. Coastal Custom Wine Cellars is one of the most reliable wine cellar designers and builders in Los Angeles, California.

Coastal Custom Wine Cellars designs and builds wine storage solutions in Los Angeles, CA, both for residential and commercial purposes. They have also partnered with the best in the industry, like US Cellar Systems, to create effective wine storage solutions. Their services include free initial design consultation, with free 3D drawings of your dream residential custom wine cellar. Their wine cellar experts are always willing to work with their clients, from the planning stage of the wine cellar construction, up to its completion. For more information about Coastal Custom Wine Cellars, and their products and services, contact them today at +1 (888) 735-8889!