Has anyone ever called you an oenophile? If someone did, did you know what they meant? An oenophile is someone who loves wine. Wine has been a revered beverage used in religious ceremonies since ancient times. It may have come into being accidentally. Since yeast is everywhere in the world, at some point some of it was bound to end up in some grape juice or other sweet liquid causing fermentation, and wine was born!

Back in the ancient world someone discovered that if he put yeast into grape juice he turned it into an entirely new drink. What he may or may not have understood is that yeast causes the grape juice to ferment which changes all the sugar in the juice into alcohol. He shared his drink with others who agreed that he had come up with something pretty good. That is when ancient peoples began intentionally making juice into wine.

At that time, wine storage solutions weren't much of an issue. The choices were just crocks and ewers and with little way to control temperature or humidity, it was never certain that anything kept for long would be anything but vinegar when opened. Eventually, caves and cellars were found to be good conditions for wine to reach its peak and the first wine cellars came to be.

Modern wine lovers have learned that wine needs different conditions depending on whether it is developing or being stored. These days, wine lovers also know that wine storage solutions have to meet a variety of different situations. Open wine racks can provide the proper type of wine storage for modest wines in a home, as long as the home is kept at a reasonable temperature and humidity.

Wine storage coolers can be used by wine lovers who wish to protect their wine when it's at its peak. Wine storage comes as small as tiny one bottle coolers and as large as entire refrigerated rooms. The choice of wine storage solutions rests on a number of things: What is the value of the wine to be stored? Are the owners exacting and precise about their wine storage or a little less particular? What can the household afford to spend for wine storage?

If wine is to remain at it's peak flavor or to reach it through careful aging, it is fussy. Wine has a very narrow temperature array ranging from 40 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit with as little variation as can be. Temperature variations should occur as infrequently as possible. Under one time per year is recommended, and humidity should be kept at more than fifty per cent as well. A cooler should be free from light or out of direct sunlight that is harmful to wines.

The preferred method for wine storage is that the bottles be lying on their sides horizontally. An angle up to 45 degrees will work, but angles less than 25 degrees are much better. You can use a cooler to stack loose bottles if you like; however, this arrangement makes it difficult to get to bottles in the bottom rows of the stack. Therefore, wine racks work better. When buying a wine rack, make sure it has spaces for wine bottles that are different shapes and sizes. If the rack is going to be on display, you should buy an attractive unit.

Wine was first created by the accidental addition of yeast to juice, which caused the mixture to ferment, producing wine. Currently, wine production is a booming business, and most connoisseurs are faced with the decision of what to store their wine in. Wine storage solutions range from simplistic wine racks up to walk-in wine storage coolers, and nearly every variety in between. A rack or cooler can be found for nearly any size collection and price range. Wines are best stored horizontally, or as close to horizontal at possible, at temperatures between 40 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit and with humidity at or above 50% to ensure the best flavor.