Hello DAVE!
Monday July 08 1996 20:49, DAVE SACERDOTE wrote to IAN HOARE:
 ->> I have to give a yodel of delight, though, because we've finally
 ->> finished work on the wine cellar.
 DS> Well, congratulations!  That is wonderful news indeed, and sounds like
 DS> a very time consuming as well as costly effort.
Time consuming, yes, though the cost was strictly limited. Cement is cheap, 
gravel and sand costs almost (and sometimes literally) nothing if we collect 
it from the quarry. The only expense other than that was for some inspection 
trap heighteners which cost about $4 each - I needed 30 of them so I reckon 
the total cost was significantly under $150 for the lot.
 DS>  Though my palate is grieviously unsophisticated and I confess to a
 DS> great ignorance when it comes to wine.
Up to the age of about 35, I was too. Fortunately I had some good friends who 
had benefitted from a decent education, so they all had good cellars. They 
took my vinous education in hand, and taught me an enormous amount.
 DS>  I *do* understand the necessity of proper storage.
It's utterly essential for long term storage and improvement of wines, less 
so for short term (<= 1 year). The most important is a freedom from rapid 
temperature changes and extremes in temperature. Next most important is a 
freedom from vibration. After that, humidity and dark are desirable, if not 
of the same order of importance as the other criteria.
 DS> I must admit, though, that when you and Michael start discussing
 DS> wine, you lose me.  :-)
I'm sorry to hear that... If that happens again, why not butt in to tell us 
we're being too technical, and could we please explain ourselves. It is a big 
problem, you know, talking about wine. The vocabulary is almost entirely 
borrowed, and easily becomes a self parody! Give you an example. I've never 
eaten soft shell crabs and or clams. Can you please describe their taste to 
me please?
 DS> I am curious, however, how a wine cellar can be...well, _tacky_.  I'm
 DS> assuming that you don't mean "tacky" in the textural sense.
Almost. Tacky can have a pejorative sense of "untidy, ill finished, unkempt." 
 DS> ..that is, clinging to the fingertips when touched..
In fact the walls had years ago received a sort of coat of lime mortar 
plastered on. This had decayed to the extent that it did rather cling to the 
fingertips! Every time you touched a wall, a scattering of this covering 
stuck to your clothes or fell down.
 DS> .but rather in the aethetic sense.
To some extent, yes it was aesthetic. However the changes were primarily
a) to even out the humidity throughout the cellar.
b) To provide a more stable base at a more convenient height for the existing 
wine racks.
c) To greatly increase the storage space for wines bought in fairly large 
quantities (1-3 doz).
d) To stabilise the wall surfaces.
e) To make the place capable of being used to give wine tastings for 
customers.
which last two are to some extent a matter of decoration.
 DS> I've always thought of cellars as rather dark chambers lined with
 DS> racks of bottles, and held to a constant humidity and temperature.
Yes, that's a fair description. But as long as the bottles themselves are 
kept pretty dark, one can perfectly well provide lighting in cellars and make 
them an agreeable place to enter.
 DS> Do people actually decorate winecellars?
Quite a number of wine producers have obviously made some effort to make 
their cellars attractive, certainly. I think some have also gone as far as 
whole scale decoration. I heard recently of one Bordeaux chateaux (I think it 
was Montrose) which is housing an art exhibition in its chais (the place 
where the big fermenting vats are kept).
Our refurbishment was inspired by the efforts of some french colleagues of 
ours who had spent ages in doing up their cellar, going as far as to paint 
the wine bins and provide concealed lighting! It was gorgeous, though clearly 
still a working cellar. We haven't gone as far as that - though we might just 
paint the grayest bits of concrete.
 DS> ... "The amontillado, Montressor!"
I would rather prefer the manzanilla if possible!
Ian
--- GoldED 2.50.A0918 UNREG
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