A closet can easily be turned into a mini wine cellar to store your growing wine collection.

Consider the position of the cupboard or closet in relation to the outside walls of the house before you construct your wine cellar.

It is preferable to not turn a closet built against an outside wall into a wine cellar. The outer walls of your house or apartment can frequently be subject to wide fluctuations in temperature. Choose an internal closet where your wine can be stored in a more stable atmosphere.

The speed and the degree of the temperature change are critical elements to successfully storing and aging wine. The gradual change of a just a few degrees between summer and winter doesn’t matter. A similar change each day will harm your wines by ageing them too rapidly.

A major rule when storing wine is to avoid large (or quick) temperature changes. You’ll notice damage of this type immediately from the stickiness that will often form around the capsule. Over time the continual expansion and contraction of the wine will damage the integrity of the cork. It’s similar to having the cork pulled in and out again every day. When this happens, minute quantities of wine may be pushed out along the edge of the cork (between the cork and the bottle neck) allowing air to seep back in. Your wine will be ruined once air comes in contact with your wine and the irreversible process of oxidation begins.

At 55º to 58ºF the wine will age gracefully, enabling it to fully develop as the winemaker intended. Higher temperatures will age wine more rapidly and cooler temperatures will slow down the ageing process. The damage done to your wine will be irreversible if it is stored at a temperature above 82ºF for even a month.

The most difficult part of creating a wine cellar in a closet can be finding other places to store the original contents of the closet! Be tough … get rid of all the present contents (one way or another) and start with a blank slate!

Buy inexpensive wine racks from a hardware store, online retailer or storage shop and you’ll have an easy and very effective mini wine cellar.

Wine rack designs vary in bottle density; price variations have more to do with aesthetics than efficiency.

Individual racking is usually considered the most convenient way of storing bottles. If you have racks against only one wall of the closet you may still have floor or shelf space available for wines that you purchase by the case.

Every day thousands of gallons of wine is produced and sold all over the world. Italy, Germany, France, and all the way to the USA; wine is still one of the most popular beverages in the world. At every fine restaurant, on every anniversary and dinner date; the perfect bottle of wine is in some cases a must. Scientists have found that wine can be traced back as far as 60 million years ago, and it was even mentioned in the bible. People liked it then, they like it now, and the demand keeps on swelling.

Where Did It All Start?

The wine of the world started millions of years ago, but where did it go from there? It has been spread across the globe, and is even sometimes taken daily for health purposes. The ancient Egyptians made their own wine, as did the Romans and many other ancient people. The Egyptians planted their grapes along the enormous Nile River. Their methods included stomping the grapes in large bowls in order to make wine. Though for most people when they think of wine they thing of Italy and France, wine is produced in many different countries such as Germany and Australia as well.

Varieties of Wine

Wines come in a variety of different brands, colors, and flavors. When you think of wine, you probably think of red or white wine. But, there are many different varieties to choose from. Rosé Wine that is sometimes made by mixing red wine and white wine is also quite popular all across the globe. Sparkling wine that contains carbon dioxide provides the characteristic bubbling effect.

Champagne is probably the most well known of this category. Fine desert wines are usually very sweet (hence the name desert wine), and table wine which contain much more alcohol than most wines at about 14%. Vintage wines too are popular. These are grown in the time span of a certain year, and are also popular with many collectors. Wine is also used for cooking - most cooking wines such as cooking sherry are basically an inexpensive wine that is not intended for drinking.

World Famous Wines

France is home to some of the most famous wines of the world  - from Chateau Margaux, Pétrus, to Romanée Conti. But, France is not the only place to find great wine. Italy is home to some of the best wines of the world including Chianti Classico, one of the most popular wines of Tuscany. In Germany, Deutscher Tafelwein is a popular wine, but is usually not sold outside the country, and therefore makes it exclusive to Germany. Other countries such as Asia also produce fine wines, but it is true that most people prefer the French and Italian brands.

How Wine is Made

Making wine is not an easy process, and involves a lot of hard work. The grapes are usually ripe by September, and are ready to be harvested. Many workers are needed for the harvesting job to make the perfect wine. Once the grapes are picked, they need to be sorted fast before spoiling. After this process, they are crushed and in the case of white wine, the skin and seeds are removed. Then the fermentation process begins after which the grape juice is placed in barrels where it will be aged for a few months, while occasionally being poured into another barrel to remove the remaining peeling and solids.

The cost of wine is dictated through several factors:

- A producer of wine might elect to make their wine utilizing lower yields or higher yields (a yield is an expression that is used to assess the quantity of grapes or the volume of grape juice that is produced per geographic area). This helps to ensure the utilization of more robust flavored grapes.

- There are some wine makers that might choose to make their wine in oak barrels or concrete vats which adds a lot to the price of the wine.

- There are some makers of wine that might choose to have their fruit harvested by themselves by hand to lessen the cost of labor as well as the price of the associated machinery.

Most, if not all of these added costs will be recovered in the established final selling price when it is eventually sold. This gives some insight as to the reasons why a wine from a quality producer will consistently sell at a higher price compared to wine that is produced in bulk for consumers.

What’s a better value; low cost or more expensive?

Wines that are high quality typically are more costly than lower quality wines. As already mentioned, the methods of growing and manufacturing process are a higher cost procedure hence wines of quality cannot be found at a low cost.

There have been time when it has been the experience for some makers of wine who, because of their eagerness to make more money on the sly, charge more for their wine than it is really worth, nevertheless, merchants who are more trustworthy vigorously watch out for customers value by not buying wines from these types of individuals.

Although wine that have more expensive wine prices tends to be known as being of better quality, the value is determined by the buyer, because everyone’s tastes vary.

Quality wines are often allowed to mature over a long time period so that they can reach their best and full potential. When time passes and the wine itself is drunk by consumers, those wine bottles that are left in small numbers become very rare and become worth a great deal of money, with its worth increases year by year. Wines that are also rare and of great expense are wines that are made in small quantities each year.

At the end of the day, wine prices vary because of their production costs and time and material used to create them. If a persons passion is in quality wines, then they may be willing to pay for the rarity of an expensive bottle, yet for someone who is just in search of a bottle to go with a meal, less expensive bottles may be better suited; it all comes down to individual taste.

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Within these various wine groups there are also are sub types to them. Nevertheless, because these different elements are so numerous and varied to mention and may simply confuse the beginner; we will go into the four most popular kinds of wines.

The White and Red Wines

In terms of the popularity of wines, the red wine as well as the white wine are constantly on the top of the rankings. Numerous individuals throughout the world enjoy drinking these kinds of wines during as well as after having dinner. In the majority of European nations, it is very common for the people there to drink red and white wines. As a matter of fact, numerous Europeans would not think of their meal as complete if they don’t have a glass of wine.

The question often arises of; what determines a wines color? The answer is quite simple; the absence or the presence of the skin on the grapes determines a wines color. To produce white wine the skin of the grape is removed prior to extracting the juice.

On the other hand, the production of red wine happens by allowing the red skin or the grapes to come into contact with the juice while the fermentation process is happening. Because the majority of the flavor is concentrated on it’s skin, it is typical for red wine to have a stronger flavor in comparison to white wine.

Because white wine has a flavor that is light it usually goes well with meals that are subtly flavored as well as meals that are light. In contrast red wine is more ideally suited for meals with a stronger flavor.

The Sparkling Wine

An additional type of wine that is popular is the sparkling wine. Sparkling wines have a higher level of carbon dioxide which is manifested in it’s bubbly consistency. There are some wines that  have much lesser amounts of carbon dioxide which is in direct contrast to sparkling wines that are purposely injected with carbon dioxide during the process of fermentation to give it a fizzing effect when consumed.

Numerous people refer to the sparkling wine as champagne style wines. Because this kind of wine fizzle is very much like there champagne counterpart, numerous people choose to use this kind of wine in place of champagne during times of celebrations.

The Table Wine

Another kind of wine is the table wine which has become very popular over the years. In this type of wine there is a greater content of alcohol compared to other kinds of wines. In the USA, the level of alcohol content of table wine if just within the 8.5% and the 14.5% content range. However, in the regions of Europe, table wines typically contain more than 14% alcohol.

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One of the reasons that this may occur is that the temperature was either too cold or too hot. Remember that yeast cells are live and in order to become activated they require a temperature that is between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Ideally, you should aim for around 72 degrees; however, if you drop below 70 or go above 75 degrees, you will have problems. When the temperature is too cool, the fermentation will likely not occur at all. When the temperature is too warm; however, the yeast can become damaged and will also perform poorly.

This is why it is critical to ensure that you have a stable temperature in the room where you ferment your wine. If the temperature in the room fluctuates, you will generally have problems. Basements tend to make the best places for fermentation; provided the area does not become too cool during the winter. In that case, you can provide a small heat source. Making sure that your fermentation containers are not placed directly on the floor may also help. You can also use a thermometer to monitor the fermentation. A floating thermometer can be placed right in the wine and you can lift it out when you want to check the temperature.

Improperly starting the yeast can also result in problems with fermentation. This is also commonly due to problems with temperatures. Most yeast packets require the yeast to be rehydrated, or moistened, with some warm water prior to use. Ideally, this should not cause any problems. That is, unless the water temperature was too warm. Most yeast packets call for the temperature to be somewhere between 95 and 105 degrees. If the water exceeds these temperature limits even just a small bit, the yeast is likely to be destroyed. As a result, it is unable to support the fermentation process.

As a result, it is important to make sure that you actually verify the temperature of the water before you add the yeast. In addition, it is important to make sure that you do not leave the yeast in the water for too long. Generally, you will need to leave the yeast in the water for about fifteen minutes. If you walk off and forget about the yeast and leave it in the water for even a few minutes longer, you will also run the risk of destroying the yeast cells. Therefore, it is important to keep an eye on the clock and make sure that the yeast does not remain in the water for any longer than 15 minutes at the most.

Adding too much sugar can also cause problems in the fermentation process. Remember that while it is necessary for yeast to have sugar in order to produce alcohol, you can add in too much sugar. When the sugar level is too high, it may begin to have a detrimental effect on the ability of the yeast to produce alcohol. This is why it is critical to verify the amount of sugar that is already present in a batch from the fruit itself before you add in any additional fruit. Remember that the fruit itself will have its own amount of sugar. This level can vary from one fruit to another, making it even more important to verify the sugar content level. A hydrometer can be used for this purpose. If you have not previously used a hydrometer it is a good idea to invest in one and become acquainted with it. A quality hydrometer can help you to avoid many of the problems that might otherwise ruin a good batch of wine.

As you are already aware, the sugar level of your wine is incredibly important as it is the sugar that the yeast feeds off of in order to produce the alcohol. The amount of sugar that you start your batch with will ultimately determine the level of alcohol that is present in the final batch. In order to run these tests you will need to have a wine making hydrometer. This is not an area where you want to try and guess at how much alcohol and sugar is present.

The hydrometer gives you the ability to accurately test and measure the amount of sugar that is present in the juice and consequently the amount of alcohol that can be produced from the sugar. As a result, you will also be able to measure how much additional sugar you may need to add to the juice.

You can purchase a hydrometer online as well as in any winemaking store. It looks quite simple. It is comprised of a glass tube with a weight on one end that will float. Sugar levels are tested by reading how low or high it ultimately floats. Almost all hydrometers also have a scale on them. This is the Potential Alcohol scale. You can read this scale when you first start the fermentation process to determine whether you need to add additional sugar based on the amount of alcohol that you want to be present in the final wine.

If you determine that you need to adjust the sugar level in order to increase the alcohol level, you may wonder what type of sugar is the best type to use. There are many different types of options available. It is important to remember that each type of sugar will offer different characteristics. The different options include brown sugar, cane sugar, fructose, beet sugar, rice sugar, etc. Corn sugar and cane sugar are usually the cheapest and the most widely available; however, there is certainly nothing stopping you from experimenting with other sugar options if you have them available. Be sure to take notes so that you will know whether you want to use whichever type you decide upon again for future batches.

You will also need to test and possibly adjust the acid level of your wine. Remember that maintaining the right acid level in your wine will provide your wine with balance and character as well as assist in the fermentation process.

When testing acidity, it is important to keep in mind that it typically varies from one fruit to another. This is why it is so critical to test the acidity level and then make adjustments as necessary.

The best way to test the acidity level of your juice is to use a titration kit. You can find these at any winemaking store as well as online. This kit will help you to measure how acidic the wine will actually taste. For example, if there is too much acid in the wine then it will taste bitter or sour. If; however, it does not have enough acid then it will have a flat taste. Based on those readings, you will know whether or not you need to adjust the acidity level of your wine. If you find that you do need to make adjustments you can do so using one of three different fruit acids. They are citric, tartaric and malic fruit acids.

Once you are ready to bottle your wine, it is time to make any final adjustments that may be necessary. There are many ways in which you can adjust your wine in order to improve the flavor. Perhaps the easiest way to go about this is to simply experiment and find out what works well for you personally. By keeping notes, you will quickly discover what works and what you like and what should be avoided in the future.

Just a few ways you can adjust the flavor of the wine when bottling it includes blending it with other fruit based wines, adding spices or oak chips, body enhances or flavor enhances. You can even fortify your wine with something such as grain alcohol. The most critical rule that should be followed when making final flavor adjustments is to make sure that you adjust in small amounts. In other words, always experiment with small amounts rather than a full batch.

The process of making wines from various types of fruit is no more complicated than making wine from grapes. The only difference between making wine using grapes and other fruits is the fact that you may need to make some adjustments when using other fruits including sugar content and acid levels. This will mean a couple of extra steps that may not usually be necessary when making grape wine; however, winemakers who have made the decision to use different fruits report that the extra effort is well worth it as you can often produce a stellar wine.

Any number of different fruits may be used for making wine including peaches, watermelons, plums, strawberries, blackberries, boysenberries, gooseberries, pears, grapefruits, persimmons, pineapples and much more.

The first step in making wine using other types of fruit is the same as making wine using grapes. You will need to evaluate the fruit. Keep in mind that the resulting wine cannot be any better than the fruit that was used to produce it. This means that you will need to pay careful attention to the quality of the fruit that you use to make your wine.

Avoid fruit that contain excessive bruises and molds. Try to use only fruit that is completely ripe. Fruit that is not fully ripe tend to produce wine that is somewhat lacking in character. Make sure that you rinse off the fruit before the crushing.

In some cases, you may need to dilute the fruit with water in order to get a good wine. This is because certain types of fruit are too strong on their own without dilution. Other fruits have a level of acid that is too high without dilution and will result in a wine that is sharp tasting. Blueberry and gooseberries are both examples of fruit that require some dilution because of their natural acid levels. Take note that this is not the case with all fruits. Apples, for example, do not require any dilution. You may use pure apple juice with no worries.

The exact amount of fruit that you use to make your wine is dependent on a few factors. Really, there is not a single right formula when it comes to fruit amounts. If you want a dessert wine then you may wish to use more fruit in order to create a heavier, sweeter wine. On the other hand, if you want a wine that is lighter and crisper then you may wish to use less fruit.

In order to monitor and adjust the sugar levels as necessary when using fruits for your winemaking, it is necessary to use a hydrometer. The hydrometer will help you to easily determine the amount of sugar that is present in the juice and how much alcohol will be produce from the level of sugar that is present. This will aide you in understanding whether more sugar needs to be added to produce a higher alcohol content. A hydrometer is a tube of glass with a floating weight on one end. You will be able to gauge the sugar level by looking at how low or high the hydrometer floats once placed in the juice. Generally, there will be a meter on the hydrometer that indicates the alcohol potential.

You will also need to test and adjust the acidity as necessary when using fruits. This is imperative because acid levels can vary greatly among different types of fruits. There are two ways in which acid can be checked. One way is to use pH testing strips or litmus papers. This is generally a very fast and cheap way to check acid levels; however, it is not the most accurate way to check acid levels. The most accurate way to check acid levels is to use a process known as titration. A titration kit can be used to measure the acid level and how it will actually taste. If it is necessary to adjust the level of acid, you can do so using three different fruit acids. They are malic, citric and tartaric and they can be purchased either separately or in a blend known as Acid Blend. You can find these items in a home brewing store.

Wine is produced by fermenting grapes that have been freshly harvested. While many people today have taken up an interest in winemaking, the actual process of making wine has remained relatively unchanged over the years.

As we all know, yeast is essential to the fermentation process as part of making wine. Yeast actually grows on grape skins and then begins to automatically ferment the grape juice as the grapes are crushed. This begins the process of turning the grapes into wine. The combination of grape skins and grape juice is known as the must. When the mixture is in this phase of immersion it is known as maceration. This is one of the most important stages of winemaking, especially when making red wines. The actual color of red wine is obtained not from the juice inside the grapes but from the color of the grape skins. The juice inside all grapes, regardless of the skin color of the grape, is actually clear. In order for red wines to obtain their dark color they must extract the color from the skin of the grape. This is why black grapes are commonly used for the production of red wines. Conversely, light colored grapes are used for the production of white wines.

During the actual fermentation process, the natural fruit sugar that is contained within the grapes undergoes a conversion process into equal parts of carbon dioxide and alcohol. As this process continues, heat is released. It is for this reason that stainless steel fermenters that can be temperature controlled are commonly used for the production of rather delicate white wines. This prevents the wine from ‘cooking.’

The ripeness of the grapes and the sugar content contributes to the level of alcohol that is produced during the fermentation process. The time at which the fermentation process is stopped can also contribute to the alcohol level as well.

The dusty look of grapes, frequently referred to as their bloom, is produced by yeasts. The skins of grapes contain what is known as vinegar bacteria. Once exposed to air, vinegar bacteria can spoil new wine quite quickly. As a result, it is necessary to eliminate wild yeasts in order to avoid ruining the taste and the aroma of the wine. Winemakers use a centuries old process of utilizing sulfur dioxide to kill the vinegar bacteria as well as slow the growth of other bacteria and molds in the wine. Sulfites can also help to cease the browning or oxidation of wine as well as preserve its flavor.

Generally, the amount of sulfur dioxide that is used in the winemaking process is quite small. Typically, only between 60 and 125 parts per million are used. It is important to understand that even if no sulfur dioxide is added to the wine, there will still be some sulfites present in the wine due to the fact that they will be produced from fermenting yeasts. This is why all wines that are purchased in the United States contain the label “Contains Sulfites” on the bottle.

Keep in mind; however, that you do not necessarily need to obsess if you absolutely cannot obtain a storage facility at exactly 55 degrees. The improvement provided for each degree in temperature you are able to reduce in the storage area is really only marginal. Of course, a dark area that has a temperature of 65 degrees is always going to better than an area with a lot of light that has an average temperature of 75 degrees. Being able to store your wine in an area at 55 degrees; however, would only be slightly better than the 65 degree storage area.

The most important key is to try to avoid fluctuations in temperature in the area where you store your bottled wine, even if this means that area is slightly warmer than 55 degrees. Changes in temperature can be very difficult on bottled wine. Over time, temperature fluctuations will wear down your wine. Wine that is stored in an area with temperature fluctuations will take on a weak aroma and may begin to lose its character. The main reason that temperature changes have such an effect on bottled wine is due to the expansion and contraction that occurs.

When temperatures change, anything in that area naturally expands and contracts. With bottled wine, the glass in the bottle will expand and contract; however, the wine inside the bottle will also expand and contract. They do not expand and contract at the same level; however. Wine tends to expand and contract at a far greater level than the glass in the wine bottle. The result is the buildup of pressure inside the bottle. The aroma of the wine may then seep through the cork. In addition, the expansion and contraction process can result in carbon dioxide seeping into the wine through the cork and the vacuum that is left in the process. This can result in a very bad taste in your wine.

In some cases, you may not be certain whether the temperature in your storage area is stable. In that case, it is a good idea to set up a monitoring system to make sure that the temperatures are remaining stable. It is not uncommon for an area that was thought to be quite stable to have temperature fluctuations. In some cases, these fluctuations can amount to as much as 10 degrees each day. Over time, this can prove to be disastrous for your wine. Therefore, if you are not entirely certain that your storage area is consistent in terms of temperature it really is a good idea to monitor it over a period of time to make sure that the temperature is remaining consistent. Keep in mind that when monitoring your storage area, you should check the temperature at least twice a day at different times in order to get an accurate idea of whether the temperature is remaining stable on a daily basis.

As the fermentation nears the end of the cycle, there should be a significant amount of active yeast cells which are beginning to wind down because they are running out of fuel; or sugar. After the sugars have become consumed the active yeast will begin to starve and feed on itself. An enzyme will be produced that will break down the inactive yeast cells. The purpose of this is to release the nutrients in the dead yeast cells that can be used by the yeast cells that are still active. This process is called autolysis. Over a period of time, an otherwise perfectly good batch of wine may be ruined as a result of this process.

Racking is also important because it can assist in the clarification of the wine. If wine is not racked, the end result will be wine that may be clear on top; however, the bottom will be somewhat thick and hazy.

The racking process is not terribly difficult. In fact, it is quite simple. A siphon is necessary for racking. The key; however, is to make sure that you siphon off the wine without stirring up any of the sediment. It should be noted that while food grade hosing can be used many winemakers do prefer to use what is known as a racking tube in order to rack their wine. This is because, if you are not careful; using a hose to rack the wine can cause the sediment to become stirred up and it may also move around. A racking tube fits on the end of the hose and serves as a type of wand that gives you control over where in the container you draw the wine.

In the old days, wine was racked by manually sucking on the end of the hose; however, today there have been numerous advancements made in winemaking equipment. One of those advancements is an automatic siphon that works with a pump in order to start the siphoning action.

Keep in mind that during the first two to three rackings, it is not essential to remove all of the sediment. You should try to siphon as much of the wine liquid as possible; however, even if you do bring up a small amount of the sediment this will be fine. It is during the final racking that it becomes imperative that you make sure that all of the sediment is left behind with none following through into the wine.

After the fermentation process has been completed, it you still need to rack the wine (such as when storing wine long-term in bulk) it may be necessary to add Campden Tablets to the wine. The purpose of this is to ensure that any air that may have entered the wine during the racking process is driven out. Campden Tablets will also help to minimize oxidation. Keep in mind that this is not a problem when racking wine while the fermentation process is ongoing as the CO2 that is produced during fermentation will naturally eliminate any air that may have been introduced.