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We get asked a wide variety of questions all the time. Here is a selection of the ones we hear most often. If we haven't answered your question below please contact our customer service helpline at enquiries@penfoldsprivilegeclub.com.
What is my bottle worth?
Where can I buy Penfolds wine?
Where can I buy Penfolds Grange?
What does the word Bin mean?
Can Penfolds re-cork my older bottles of wine?
DECANTING
Why decant wine?
Do your wines need decanting?
Which wine do I serve first?
CELLARING WINE
Why cellar wines?
Do all wines benefit from cellaring?
How long will a wine improve in the bottle?
Where is the best place to store my wines?
VEGETARIANS
I am a strict Vegan. Can I consume wine?
I am a strict Vegetarian. Can I consume wine?
Why are fining agents used in wines?
What is my bottle worth?
If you would like to find out how much your bottle of Penfolds wine is worth, please contact Christies Auction House on 020 7839 9060 or visit www.christies.com.
Where can I buy Penfolds wine?
As well as leading independent fine wine outlets, several major retail chains such as [remove Oddbins] Majestic, Thresher, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose stock Penfolds wines. For specific information or a full list of stockists, please contact our customer service team by email, enquiries@penfoldsprivilegeclub.com
Where can I buy Penfolds Grange?
Penfolds Grange stock is very limited. Ranges are available in Majestic, Thresher, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose. If you have any difficulties locating your specific Penfolds Grange please contact our customer service team by email, enquiries@penfoldsprivilegeclub.com
What does the word Bin mean?
It is easy to forget that wines such as Bin 389, Bin 128 and Bin 28 began life as experimental wines in the 1950s and 1960s. The numbers relate simply to the particular sections (or 'bins') of the Penfold cellar in which the original wines were stored. Once the wines have established themselves, the bin numbers became the ongoing names of the wines.
Can Penfolds re-cork my older bottles of wine?
Penfolds offer this service on an occasional basis through the Penfolds Recorking Clinics. For more details on Penfolds Recorking Clinics please click here. For details of the next Wine Clinic in your area, please do not hesitate to contact our customer service team by email, enquiries@penfoldsprivilegeclub.com
DECANTING
Why decant wine?
There are two main reasons to decant a wine. One is to separate the clear wine from any sediment or ‘crust’ that has formed in the bottle as the wine has aged. The other is to stimulate or enliven the wine by exposing it to air and giving it a chance to ‘breathe’. During decanting, the wine absorbs oxygen, which acts as a stimulant and assists in bringing out the complexities developed during bottle ageing.
Do your wines need decanting?
Not all wines need decanting. Most white wines and lighter bodied reds can generally be served directly from the bottle, but old full-bodied red wines may benefit from the decanting process. Decanting is recommended for red wines as these wines are not filtered and cold stabilised to the same extent as white wines prior to bottling - to do so would diminish varietal fruit bouquet, flavour and character. During the ageing process, the naturally occurring tannins, tartrates and other solids gradually separate from the wine, forming a ‘crust’ or sediment in the bottle. This is a natural, self-refining process of bottle maturation.
However, prior to drinking the wine, it will be necessary to separate the wine from the sediment if the full benefit of the aging process is to be enjoyed. Double decanting is an excellent solution as it gives the wine a double dose of air and does not require a decanter.
Peter Gago recommends that all Penfolds red wines from Thomas Hyland up though the range will benefit from decanting. To find out more information about double-decanting click here.
Which wine do I serve first?
There are no hard and fast rules when serving wine, it is very much a case of personal taste and matching wines to your menu. Light-bodied before full-bodied, white before red, dry before sweet and young before old is a good guideline to use. On some occasions however, it may be more appropriate to serve an older red wine before a younger one or before a full-bodied white wine.
Light to medium bodied wines
Sparkling wine, Frontignac, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Colombard, Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, unwooded Chardonnay.
Medium bodied wines
White and red sparkling wine, barrel fermented Chardonnay and Semillon, Marsanne and some reds including Pinot Noir, Merlot, Grenache and Sangiovese.
Medium to full-bodied wines
Some Chardonnays, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, sparkling Shiraz.
CELLARING WINE
Why cellar wines?
Simply, most quality wines improve with age. Aged wine develops greater complexity, as the chemical reactions that occur during ageing add new aromas and flavours to the wine. Ideally, buy a reasonable quantity so that you can regularly assess the development of the wine over several years.
Do all wines benefit from cellaring?
Depending on the style of wine, some wines are best consumed when young and fresh, while others may benefit from cellaring. Early drinking styles are usually best consumed within 1 to 2 years of production. For example, sparkling wine is ready to drink when it is released onto the market, as it is at this stage when the winemaker considers it to be at its best.
This also applies to tawny port. Because the ageing (maturation) process has been carried out in oak, further ageing is not required once the port has been bottled.
Most white wines and light-bodied reds are best consumed when young (1 to 3 years), as it is during this time that the primary fruit characters are at their most appealing. However, some wines are not at their best until they have had some years in the bottle. These are generally full-bodied quality reds, although some of our Rieslings, full-bodied Chardonnays and classic Hunter Valley Semillons may develop wonderfully well in the bottle. Of course, the potential for these wines to mature gracefully lies in the character of the fruit.
Before investing in wines for cellaring, check the back label prior to purchase. Most table wines will have an indication of cellaring potential on the back label. However, if you are unsure or have any enquiries, contact the wine company for further clarification.
For more information on cellaring click here.
How long will a wine improve in the bottle?
It is difficult to predict when a wine will be at its best. Do you enjoy a wine with the vibrant flavours of youth or the more mellow, softer complexity of a fully mature wine? Is your preference for a red wine with predominant primary fruit characters, or a more mature red, which gives impressions of coffee, cedar or tobacco and less tannic astringency? It is very much a case of individual taste.
It is important to remember that smaller bottles will mature more quickly than standard bottles or magnums, as the proportion of air in the ullage space to the volume of wine is higher.
To find out the recommended cellaring time for individual wines, click here to see their tasting notes.
Where is the best place to store my wines?
Wine is best stored under cool, dark, airy conditions, free from vibration, odours and dampness. A cellar need not be under the house. The single most important factor is temperature stability. Wines stored where the temperature varies gradually with the seasons are better off than wines stored in a room which is heated during the day and then allowed to cool to winter temperatures at night.
The ideal cellar temperature is 12-15°C with a relative humidity of 65-75%. It is worthwhile using a thermometer to monitor summer temperatures. It may be a cause for concern if the cellar temperature goes much over 18°C, as warm conditions will accelerate the development of your wines, possibly reducing the pleasure to be had from them.
Store wine on its side, ideally with the neck sloping slightly upwards so that the cork remains wet, the bubble of air is in the shoulder and any sediment will collect at the bottom of the bottle. This will make the wine easier to decant. Place the bottle with the label facing up or use written necktags so you do not disturb a wine to identify it. Align the bottles so that the corks are visible - this will allow easy inspection for problems such as leakage.
Depending on the size of your cellar and your budget, your wines can be stored in either racks or boxes. There are various racking and storage systems available ranging from metal individual bottle storage racks through to custom-built wooden systems. Cardboard cartons in which wines are packed provide efficient insulation and also protect the wine from light. Another alternative, albeit an expensive one, is specially designed styrene boxes, which provide excellent insulation and double as wine racks.
Air conditioning and refrigeration may effectively reduce temperatures but will also reduce humidity causing cork shrinkage. Buckets filled with water and regularly topped up will usually solve this problem. Alternatively, several companies now offer cellaring cabinets of varying sizes, that are, effectively, modified refrigerators with humidity control and these same companies can also supply humidity control units for rooms.
It is important to note that your wines will mature more quickly if your cellaring conditions are not ideal. The warmer the climate, the warmer the cellar and the greater the need to shorten cellaring periods.
VEGETARIANS
I am a strict Vegan. Can I consume wine?
We do not recommend any of our wine for vegans due to the possibility that the wine has been clarified with fining agents such as egg albumin, casein, gelatin and isinglass. The winemakers decide on which fining agents are used and these may vary from product to product and even batch to batch (usually depending on the grapes of that particular year). It is important to note that despite fining agents being used during the winemaking process, they are removed prior to bottling.
I am a strict Vegetarian. Can I consume wine?
As above, the wine could have possibly been clarified with fining agents. It would depend on what type of vegetarian you are to determine if our wines are suitable for you. Our Penfolds organic range has been approved as suitable for vegetarians.
Why are fining agents used in wines?
Fining agents are used to reduce harsh tannin and remove several kinds of hazes that can be found in wine. During the period at the end of fermentation to bottling, the winemaker may refine the taste and clarity of a wine by the addition of fining agents such as gelatin, casein and egg albumin. In using these agents the winemaker is further fine-tuning the structure of the wine. The use of small amounts of fining agents is generally necessary to ensure that the wine will be clear, stable and sound, have longevity and be enjoyable to taste.
If you haven't found the answer you are looking for please contact our customer service team at enquiries@penfoldsprivilegeclub.com
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