• Once opened, both red and white wine should be kept in the refrigerator. Be sure to take the red out of the refrigerator at least one hour before serving to warm it up.
• Once wine has been re-corked, and stored in the refrigerator, it will keep for up to 2 or 3 days.
• Use an Epi-Vac Pump to remove the oxygen from the bottle and increase longevity. Your wine will stay fresh for up to a week.

• We drink our white wines too cold and our red wines too warm.
• If you over-chill your whites the flavor becomes dull and muted. The best serving temperature is between 6 — 10^° Celsius.
• Red wines should be served at a temperature between 12 — 16^° Celsius. Lighter, fruitier reds are best served lightly chilled, for example, Beaujolais.

• 1. France — 53,612,000 hectolitres
• 2. Italy — 50,847,000 hectolitres
• 3. Spain — 33,887,000 hectolitres
• 4. United States — 25,000,000 hectolitres
• 5. Argentina — 13,500,000 hectolitres
• 40. Canada — 345,000 hectolitres

• 1. Luxembourg — 63 L
• 2. France — 60 L
• 3. Italy — 59 L
• 4. Portugal — 56 L
• 5. Switzerland — 41 L
• 35. Canada — 7L

• To make cork, trees are not cut down. It is only the outer bark of the cork oak that is used.
• The outer bark is removed in nine-year cycles. Nature cannot be hurried and it takes 9 years to replenish the outer bark.
• The demand for natural corks has allowed the cork oak plantations to be sustained rather than being replaced by development or grazing lands.
• Many producers continue to use natural cork because synthetic corks are non-biodegradable and can present an environmental hazard.

• Decanting allows astringent elements (tannins) to oxidize and hence, soften. It also accelerates the aging process, making a young robust wine become more approachable.
• Certain wines, as they age, form sediment in the bottle. Old wines can be separated from the sediment by pouring the wine into a decanter.

• Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂) is used as a cleansing and preservative agent in winemaking. Sulfites are the result of simple reactions between this compound and other molecules present in the grapes. Some argue that sulfites cause headaches, but the jury is still out on this one! It is important to realize, though, that sulfites are naturally occuring compounds and are present in almost every bottle of wine whether sulphur dioxide has been added or not.

Storing Wine
Purchasing a good wine and not looking after it properly is like buying a sports car and leaving it outside all winter. Good wines repay handsomely if cellared under proper conditions. The size and design of your cellar is up to you; it is only relative to the money you are willing to invest. We recommend you sample one bottle of wine at a time and then decide if it is worth cellaring.

Storing wine is relatively simple:

• Keep it in a dark place and at a temperature of 12° - 15° Celsius.
• Avoid changing temperatures. Small fluctuations are acceptable but must never exceed 22° Celsius.
• In any case, it is better to have a cellar too cool than too warm since warm temperatures accelerate aging.
• Any area of your basement away from heat sources will do.
• If you do not have a basement, use a cool, dark cupboard.
• Allow enough space to lie the bottles down in order to prevent the cork from getting dry; shrinking corks let air into the bottle.
• Champagne can either be stored upright or lying down.
• Once your space has been selected, you can build your wine racks: use cardboard wine boxes, wooden wine boxes or build custom cabinets.

Do you have a question? The De Vine Truth has the answer!