1936 Shaking in the 60's by Eddie Clarke

ventilated, there must be no draughts. It must also be well away from the central heating and the kitchen, not because we do not trust the cook, but for the reason that varying temperatures ofheat are most harmful to all wines; likewise also are the direct rays ofthe sun. Thus our cupboard should remain fairly constant between 50° and 55° Fahrenheit, as the ideal temperature for Red Wine is about 55°F., but around 50°F. for the White and Sparkling wines. Another word on this later. Once selected and all parties agreed upon, we now fit our wine sanctuary accordingly. First we measure it up and fit in the honeycomb wine racks from the floor upwards, leaving room nearer the ceiling for a few sturdy shelves. We favour the honeycomb wine racks for many reasons. Firstly, the wines can be stored singly, and by keeping the labels uppermost we can see at a glance what and how stocks are. Then, ofcourse, should we wish to withdraw a bottle we can do so without fear of disturbing the others, and by positioning the labels in the way stated, it ensures that we can replace it in the bin again exactly as it was before. (Worth noting here; the Vintage Ports, which never bear a label, have in its place a distinguishing dab of whitewash on each bottle, which serves the same purpose.) The honeycomb bin rack's main asset is that all our wines are stored lying on their sides, the object being that in this position the contents ofthe bottle will moisten the cork and keep it in tip-top condition. Were we to make the mistake of standing our wines on the shelves like Guardsmen on parade, the corks would dry up and shrink. This would allow the outside air to penetrate through to the wine, causing irreparable harm. The wine would become dull, lifeless and vinegary, and in the case of Champagnes and sparkling wines this shrinkage ofcorks would first allow the

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