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http:// --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Local Issues Obituaries Weather Archive Revels Etcetera Backpage Hot Topics Most Viewed Forum Photo Galleries Video Readers Polls O-Zone Online Games Movie Preview Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Featured Galleries: May 8, 2007 The personal wine cellar By Lorn Razzano Tidings Columnist Lorn Razzano Archives Tuesday April 3rd Tuesday April 10th Tuesday April 17th Tuesday April 24th Tuesday May 1st Tuesday May 8th Tuesday May 15th I was bumping around in my personal cellar the other day and came across a case of wine that lay on its side unopened. I went upstairs and forgot about the case until about one in the morning when I sat up in bed and wondered what the heck was in the case. I lay there for a while and tried to get to sleep until I just could not stand it any more. Popping into a pair of slippers I lit the downstairs lights and entered the cellar door. There, on it side sat the case. The case was wrapped in tape and said "fragile" on the side. Also there was a phrase on the side facing me that read "Wines for the cellar." I simply did not remember what was in the case or when I had placed it there under a sleeping bag, Coleman stove and a few very tattered and well loved stuffed animals. Of course, the case of wine had slumbered away and the toys and stove were placed on the case, without thought of what was inside the wine case, many years ago. I removed the decades of family castaways until I got to the box. Taking a knife from the work bench I slit the case open and turned it so that the necks of the bottle were facing upward. All of the wines were older than 1980, the year Tess and I moved to Ashland. This case of wine was a little selection I had taken with us on our move. Gently, I removed each bottle and read the labels. Two of the wines were bottles from our wedding year, 1976. One was a German Riesling that had, sadly, leaked quit a bit and the cork was ruined. The other was a California Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from B.V. vineyards in Napa Valley which looked wonderfully intact. Another lovely red wine, a powerful Barolo from the Piemonte region of Italy, was also looking good. The wine had been a present from my father on my twenty first birthday. The other wines in the box were wines that should have been drunk many years ago and seemed doubtful that they would still be drinkable. I set the box on its side and looked back at my life. It seemed like a waste that this case had been ignored for 27 years but this is what happens in life. We move along and time simply gets away. There is another case of wine next to this case that I set aside in the early 1980s for our twin children, Brian and Sarah. This case houses the magnificent and powerful 1978 vintage (their birth year) Barolos and Barbarescos. This wine has been sitting in the coolest part of the cellar and is ready to drink today. They will be getting a call on Saturday and I will ship their wine to them with the instructions to drink the wine within the next year. Wine is a lovely time capsule; Here are a few hints how to store and enjoy them; 1. Cool and on their side — Pick any spot that remains cool throughout the year and lay these puppies on their side. Try to keep them quiet and unmoved until you consume them. 2. Write notes — Our memories are pretty shaky at times and remembering where you got the wine, if it was a present and how much you paid for the wines is valuable information. For example, the case of 1978 Barolos cost me a whopping eight dollars a bottle! Today, the same bottle is over seventy dollars a bottle. 3. Lastly, drink the wine! Don't sit on wine until it has gone bad! Have fun with your cellar. I know so many folks who have let their cellars go forever only to find that the wine has turned to vinegar. It is never about how long a wine sits but always about enjoyment. This is the key to wine appreciation. See you next week! Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising: Debt Help Inkjet Printers Payday Loans Free Ringtones Debt Consolidation Security Systems Debt Relief New Hampshire Primary Advertisement: Copyright © 2007 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved. Del.icio.us