One of the main focuses of food and wine pairing is how substantial the meal will be. Food is often described as heavy or light. Such as a salad versus a meal of meat and potatoes. Wine is also categorized in such a way. Red wines are thought to be heavier wines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, while white wines like Riesling and Savignon Blanc are considered light wines; there exist varying degrees in the middle.

The temperature of the wine is also a very important consideration when pairing food and wine. White wines are generally served more chilled than red wines; dessert wines tend to be chilled the longest. Restaurants that serve quality wines will usually have one or more commercial wine coolers which keep red and white wines in separate temperature zones so they can be chilled at their individual optimal temperatures. Additionally, you will often see celebratory wines such as Champagne pulled from the wine refrigerator and served on ice to ensure it’s perfectly chilled when served. Wine storage is a critical concern for wines that are aging and prevents further unwanted fermentation after bottling.

Generally, the rule is serve heavy wines with heavy meals and light wines with light meals. If a light wine is served with a heavy meal, such as a rich hearty pasta with red sauce, the meal could easily overpower the wine; the opposite is also true. Typically you will see salads and fish paired with white wines while beef and pork are served with medium heavy to heavy wines. The exception to this general rule is when two strong flavors are contrasting. An example might be a strong musty cheese with an intensely acidic wine. When two flavors are contrasting, they can act together to create a delicious and surprising combination.

Another point to keep in mind is that people’s taste and preferences are different. One pairing that someone else finds exquisite may fail to impress your palate. Therefore, it cannot be made a hard and fast rule that certain foods must always be paired with certain wines. Many restaurants offer help with food and wine pairings but if you are enjoying wine in your own home, why not experiment and explore the different wines available and try out your own unique pairings.

After the wine has gone through a second fermentation phase, or carbonic maceration, the wine is usually cooled or heated to slow the metabolizing yeast. Generally, from this point forward the wine will be kept in wine coolers or another cooling wine storage method will be used. If the fermentation is allowed to continue, the wine could be compromised or otherwise ruined as it begins its decline to vinegar. Wineries and many food service businesses invest in large commercial wine coolers to precisely cool and age wines.

Some wine is fermented within the wine bottle but this article is geared more toward wine that is fermented in another vessel and then transferred to wine bottles. There are important considerations to make when bottling wine. First, the size of the bottle you will be using. As you know from wine shopping, not all bottles are created equal. Port bottles are designed shorter and more stout to collect residue. Sparkling wine bottles are typically more linear and have thicker glass walls to prevent shattering from the constant internal pressure.

The other decision to make when bottling wine, is the color of the wine bottle. The darker the glass bottle, typically the less UV light penetration. Wine is generally bottled in dark green or amber bottles to limit the wine’s exposure to light which can alter its characteristics while it is cooling or aging. Once the wine has been dosed with sulfite to further reduce fermentation activity, the wine is bottled and corked. A foil wrapper, also known as a punt, is added to the bottle. This was initially done to prevent rodents and insects from destroying the cork and contaminating the wine. However, in today’s modern wine making world, it mostly serves as aesthetic appeal to the finished product.

After, the wine has been bottled and sealed, it is left to cool in wine refrigerators for whatever length of time the winemaker desires. Then, it is prepared for shipping and distribution to local wine resellers, where you find your favorite vintages and enjoy the finished wine. The entire wine making process is interesting and instills appreciation for the hard work that goes into each and every bottle of delicious wine.

One of the cooling mechanisms most commonly used is the compressor based system. There are many different types of compressor based cooling systems; the two most common are gas and vapor compression. Basically, this technology utilizes a liquid refrigerant which is circulated and along the way absorbs heat which it then moves away from the cooler and disperses through an exhaust system. The other method which uses gas is found in reciprocating cooling systems. The disadvantages of this system is that if one part fails, the entire motor and unit must be removed and replaced.

Some of the advantages of compressor based cooling is that the technology has been around for a long period of time making it reliable and available. Additionally, because the technology has been tested and used widely, repairs and parts are not difficult to find. Moreover, this technology is not as expensive as other types of cooling technology. The compressor based cooling can be driven by inexpensive forms of energy such as electricity or water. Before the advent of thermoelectric technology, compressor based cooling was relatively energy-efficient. The main disadvantage to compressor based cooling is that some units still release chemicals that are harmful to the environment, particularly the ozone layer.

Thermoelectric cooling technology has many advantages. It is energy efficient and environmentally friendly, lacking the harsh chemicals which compressor based cooling systems emit. Additionally, because this technology lacks a motor, it operates nearly silently. Without many moving parts, the thermoelectric system is less prone to disrepair. Another advantage, is that this technology can be used to either heat or cool. Obviously, wine coolers only use this system for cooling but because of its design, it cools very accurately. The main disadvantage is the cost associated with thermoelectric cooling systems. Because it is a newer technology, it has not yet reached a level of general affordability.

This has been a brief overview of the two main refrigeration systems that are used in wine storage units. After, considering the advantages and disadvantages of both, hopefully you will be able to choose the ideal wine cooler for your home.

Once a date for harvesting the mature grapes has been chosen, the preparations begin. Labor is hired so there will be adequate hands to pick all the grapes before the weather turns undesirable. What a sad year it would be if the harvest was lost to bad weather. Winemakers would have no doubt selected the yeast strain they want to use and probably already have an idea as to the outcome of wine’s flavor and aromas. The wine coolers and wine refrigerators have been prepped, and once the fermenting slows, the wine will be cooled to further slow the metabolizing yeast. Once the grapes have been harvested, they are pressed gently to release their sweet juices.

The grapes have now been harvested, either by hand or mechanically, destemmed and crushed. Sometimes the skins are left with the grapes during fermentation and sometimes most of the skins are removed. With other types of wine varietals such as Syrah, the grapes are left nearly whole to encourage internal fermenting also called carbonic maceration. If not left to carbonic maceration, at this point the grape juice will undergo primary fermentation. Primary fermentation is typically accomplished through one of two methods. Either the grapes will be allowed to undergo fermentation by their naturally present yeast strains, or a preselected yeast strain will be added to initiate fermentation. Often, the latter is preferred because the results are more predictable.

After initial fermentation, the wine may undergo cold stabilization which reduces tartaric acid and potassium build-up. Then it is time for the second fermentation stage that usually takes months. This fermentation is slow and monitored very closely. Devices that measure acidity, sugar content, and temperature are affixed to the fermenting wine. Once the wine reaches its desired alcohol content level, it will be filtered for sediments and preservatives may be added to stabilize the wine. The wine is scoured for unwanted particles and prior to bottling sulfite is added to prevent further fermentation after bottling. The wine is finally bottled and generally stored in wine coolers or using other wine storage methods until it is deemed fit for distribution and consumption.