Jean-Marie Simart from Vintec shares his top wine storage tips

July 8th, 2013

Appliances Online recently sat down with Jean-Marie Simart – the founder of Vintec.

Originally from France, Jean-Marie (pictured right) is a passionate wine collector who is the bloke we have to thank for introducing quality climate-controlled wine cabinets to Australia.

If you love your wine and have been thinking about starting a collection, Jean-Marie has some great advice for you!

Do you think Australians are becoming better educated about wine storage?

Yes, I have been able to see profound changes in the average Australian wine consumer. The first change is that Australians have now become more curious about wines; how they are made, how they must be cellared, and how they must be drunk.

These changes, which started being apparent around twenty years ago, come from a constant educational process coming from the wine writers, the wine makers, the sommeliers in the restaurants and, at this point I will be a little cocky: the incredible job Vintec has done in this area.

There are still a lot to do and many myths to be destroyed, but the positive movement is real.

How much does temperature affect the taste of wine?

The rule is: cold erases flavours and tannins, while warmth exacerbates them; therefore a just balance must be reached.

Without going into extreme details, a general rule is:

•   Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon: around 8 degrees
•   Vintage Champagne/Chardonnay: 12 degrees
•   Pinot Noir: 14-15 degrees
•   Shiraz/Cabernet 18 degrees

Is it possible to store wine for too long?

Of course, wines can be destroyed by age (like human beings ;)). Storage times for wine will vary depending on the quality of the grapes and the type of wine – usually the winemaker can give his/her recommendation.

If you have some experience, you can guess if a wine will need to be consumed within the next 2 or 3 years or if it should be kept longer – it is based on the tannins and acidity mostly.

Although a lot of wines can be drunk young, within 1 to 2 years, all wines will stand 3 years maturation during which time they will all improve; over 3 years, only some wines will be worth storing.

Rule of the thumb:

•   Most Chardonnays won’t last more than 5 years unless they are of the top quality while Semillons will tend to last much longer
•   Pinot Noirs will last around 5 years too (in most cases)
•   NV Champagnes last for around 5 years
•   Shiraz/Cabernets – storage times depend upon the wine makers
•   French wines are usually made for drinking after a long period of time (exceeding 10 years) while the New World’s wines tend to be made for drinking earlier

What is your favourite type of wine, and why?

I like all wines except the bad ones; probably more than my GP would recommend!

To be more specific, I am a Chardonnay buff, I love Champagne with a clear preference for Dom Perignon (sorry, sound a little bit snobbish), Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc when well-made like in Italy, and Rondinella Corvina (Valpolicella).

But, again, I love wines, particularly when they are well matured. I don’t like young wine full of fruit. I like when the tannins have softened and the fruity flavours have changed into a much more complex finish.

Thanks for your time, Jean-Marie!

It must be wine o’clock by now, surely. 😉

For more wine storage advice, you can check out our other blogs: Wine storage tips from Vintec and Vintec Celebrates its 15th Birthday!

Louise Carter

Louise is a writer with a passion for appliances, especially those that involve food. She is particularly fond of ovens because they enable her to make cake. Apart from baking Louise also enjoys listening to alternative music, dying her hair various unnatural colours and writing poetry that has been described (by her Nan) as 'quite nice'. On her appliance wish list is a Hello Kitty toaster and 'Hero' the barking dog-shaped hot dog maker. She lives in Sydney. Google+