CSW CSW Wine Storage & Cellar Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the term 'drinking window' mean for a wine?
- The physical shape of the wine glass opening
- The optimal time period during which a wine is at its best to drink (Correct answer)
- The price bracket a wine falls into
- The number of glasses yielded per bottle
Correct answer: The optimal time period during which a wine is at its best to drink
A wine's drinking window indicates when it has evolved sufficiently to reach peak complexity but has not yet begun to decline.
Question 2: Why should wines be kept away from strong light sources during storage?
- Light raises cellar temperature too dramatically
- UV light triggers premature oxidation and 'light strike,' causing off-aromas (Correct answer)
- Light evaporates alcohol through the glass
- Light causes the wine to lose its color rapidly
Correct answer: UV light triggers premature oxidation and 'light strike,' causing off-aromas
UV radiation reacts with sulfur compounds in wine, producing unpleasant aromas—a fault known as 'light strike' or goût de lumière.
Question 3: What is a 'vertical' collection in wine cellar terminology?
- Bottles stored standing upright
- Multiple consecutive vintages of the same wine from the same producer (Correct answer)
- A collection organized exclusively by price tier
- Only white and sparkling wines arranged in a single column
Correct answer: Multiple consecutive vintages of the same wine from the same producer
A vertical collection allows collectors to compare how a single wine evolves across different harvest years.
Question 4: Which closure type makes horizontal storage most critical to prevent premature oxidation?
- Screw cap (Stelvin)
- Crown cap
- Natural cork (Correct answer)
- Glass stopper
Correct answer: Natural cork
Natural cork must remain moist to maintain its seal; horizontal storage keeps wine in contact with the cork to prevent drying and shrinkage.
Question 5: What is the primary risk of storing wine long-term in a household refrigerator?
- The wine freezes solid at refrigerator temperatures
- Low humidity dries out corks and food odors can penetrate and taint the wine (Correct answer)
- The wine becomes excessively sweet over time
- The glass bottle cracks due to constant cold
Correct answer: Low humidity dries out corks and food odors can penetrate and taint the wine
Household refrigerators maintain very low humidity and are full of odor-producing foods that can seep through corks into the wine.
Question 6: What does buying wine 'en primeur' (futures) mean for a collector?
- Purchasing wine that has already been aged at least 10 years by the producer
- Buying wine before it is bottled and released, typically at a lower price (Correct answer)
- Only acquiring wine through auction houses
- Collecting exclusively from a single vintage year
Correct answer: Buying wine before it is bottled and released, typically at a lower price
En primeur allows collectors to secure sought-after wines at release prices, accepting delivery years later once the wine is bottled.
CSW CSW Wine Storage & Cellar Management 2
What does the term 'drinking window' mean for a wine?