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CELLAR MANAGEMENT.
CELLAR TEMPERATURE.
The most desirable place for the storage of wine
is an underground structure. The walls should be thick,
with double doors, and the floor dry and concreted. Hot-
water pipes, sky-lights or badly fitting doors, are most
detrimental as they are destructive to a uniform tempera
ture. There should, however, be an abundance of ven
tilation and the thermometer kept at about 56 deg.
Fahrenheit, which should not vary more than 2 or 3 deg.
upon either the hottest summer or coldest winter day.
Excessive heat or cold destroys the life of the wine. A
flaming gas jet is not advisable if ventilation is insufficient,
because when lighted the temperature rises, creating too
much heat near the top of the cellar and when ex
tinguished it quickly falls.
BINNING.
There should be only three tiers or bins in the cellar,
and the bottles placed in them with their noses inclined,
if anything, a little downwards, in order to ensure the
corks being always kept wet with the wine. The bottles
should look as neat and regular as it is possible to make
them. Carelessness in binning will, of course, lead to
much breakage. Examine each bottle to see that it is
properly corked and that there is no leakage before bin
ning away, although, perhaps, an infinitesimal leakage
may not be detrimental, but perhaps the reverse. The
lx)ttles should not be laid down in the bin unless in good
condition, and if not bright must be stood up for twenty-
four hours until the deposit has been precipitated, to pre-