[question] Question submitted by Josh Shein. Jeremy, would you mind advising the correct way to cellar sparkling wines, and also NV fortifieds such as Tawny Port? I’ve had conflicting suggestions as to whether these two styles should be cellared on their side or vertically. Thanks, Josh. [/question] [answer] The rule of thumb here is whether or not the bottle in question is sealed with a cork. While the eminent wine scientist and winemaker Ian Hickinbotham once attempted to convince me that the partial pressure of water vapour above the wine but below the cork in an upright bottle of wine was sufficient to ensure the cork would not dry out, I take a more conservative approach. So, anything sealed with cork in my cellar – sparkling or not – is on its side. Indeed, I have never seen bottles of Champagne stored at anything but this angle in Champagne itself, unless of course they were upside-down. Vintage Ports are typically sealed with cork, and like red wines, should always be cellared on their side. So should all other fortifieds under cork. As for fortifieds with screwcaps? Doesn’t matter. You can keep them standing upright, especially if the screwcap is in fact a Stelvin seal (which, incidentally, was a French invention!). [/answer]
