Put Some Wine in Your Life

by Sandi Marques, Accredited Sommelier

Goal #1: Storage area

This is the year that I'm going to really put some time, money and resources aside to expand my personal wine cellar.

Contrary to popular belief, not all wine cellars have to be an isolated room in your basement, with separate ventilation and space to store 500 or more bottles. Wine cellars can also be a wine cellar fridge (click here for a list of wine cellars options) that you could simply house in a storage closet in your condo or small living space. A cellar can even be outside your home www.finewinereserve.com. Big, small, 25 or 500 bottles; you decide. A wine cellar is a great way to collect your favourite wines, share with friends and family at special functions, a unique inheritance to children or a loved one, a different way to invest and a great social place and conversation theme when home entertaining.

Are aged wines better than young wines? The best way to answer this question is to try a bottle of 1961 Chateau Petrus, now auctioning for the low price of $10 000.00 CDN.

But, as most of us are not able to afford this luxurious pleasure, the next best thing is to consciously make an effort to buy or taste wines that are older (ideally greater than five years from the vintage date on the label). Just because a wine is older doesn't mean you will like it better, and younger wines can surprise with their unique character.

In general, aged wine tends to be more refined, with their mellower edges (tannins) so the mouth feel is much smoother with less of a bite. The fruity nuances of a younger wine will have developed into a subdued mellow fruitiness. The colour changes too; usually darkening from ruby garnet to deeper garnet rimmed with orange or brick. This colour change occurs due to the oxidative process (the effect of the air within the bottle on the wine that occurs over time).

Consider your wine cellar; what you envision and your budget. If you'd like a few hints to help get you started, contact Cork and Karma for a free consultation at: info@corkandkarma.com.

Goal #2: Visit some vineyards

I'm going to plan a road trip to a wine region with friends or family. This is a great way to incorporate both my vacation and my love of wines.

There are so many places within your province that you can travel and ways to accommodate almost any budget. Here are a few of my favourites: Niagara-on-the-lake, Prince Edward County (east of Peterborough, Ontario), Eastern Townships of Quebec and the Okanagan Valley for BC lovers.

Incorporating vineyard tours and visiting wine boutiques as part of your travels is a great way to try out new wines and broaden your palate. Here are a few useful websites to help when planning your next wine trip to Niagara or Quebec: www.winesofcanada.com ; Okanagan; www.grapeandwine.com and Prince Edward County: www.pec.on.ca/pec.

And for those willing to splurge, why not travel to Italy or California? Here are two more websites to help you plan: www.italianmade.com; www.travelcalifornia.com.

Happy Traveling!

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