Tips For Proper Wine Storage (NAPSA)—Entertaining at rz home is more popular than ever and wine plays a central role in many successful gatherings. Here are some helpful tips for proper wine storage to enhance your home entertainment experience. Ray Radzewicz of Kendall-Jack- son, which has been called “Amer- ica’s affordable luxury wine producer,” is an expert winecollector with an impressive 1,600-bottle collection housed in a state-of-theart winecellar. Though a nice, cool closet will do the trick, his is a lux- urious, custom-built space that’s as much for entertaining as it is for displaying his collection of rare vintages, corkscrews, large bottles and wine-related artwork. Radzewicz, a serious home en- tertainer and chef, says you don’t need to spend a ton of money to create a sanctuary for wine. Here are some of his tips for proper wine storage: You can store wine almost anywhere as long as the temperature is relatively constant, preferably between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit and not above 75 degrees. Fluctuations in temperature are harmful to wine. Use a cellar space under the house or choose a space on the north side of your home—acloset will do—that is free of walking traffic or other vibrations. Wine ages better when keptstill. Another storage option is a wine refrigerator built into a kitchen or placed in a corner of the garage. This is a great way to store as few as six bottles or as many as 600. Wine collector Ray Radzewicz says creating a good place to store your wine need not bediffi- cult or expensive. Make sure the humidity levels stay at a minimum of 70 percent for long-term storage. Store wineonits side so that the cork does not dry out. Keep the wine out of direct sunlight. The darker the storage conditions, the better. Splitting a winecellar into a red section and a white section, complete with insulated walls and individual cooling systems set for the ideal conditions of red and white wines, is preferred byseriouscollectors. e Last, but not least, the best wine is one that is consumed with friends, not collected. For more information about the enjoyment of wine, go to kj.com.
