9 Tips On How To Store Your Wine
Wine is very delicate and needs to be stored in a certain manner to ensure it doesn’t get destroyed. Overlooking these storage guidelines is usually the main reason behind wine spoilage. If you have over three or more wine bottles on your rack, this is the last thing you’d want to happen.
If you’re a wine enthusiast, you need to learn how to store your wine correctly. By observing the correct storage measures, you’ll be able to preserve the wine’s quality and value. Read through the tips below to ensure your wine is stored properly.
1. Store Your Wine At The Ideal Temperature
One of the most crucial factors to consider when storing wine is the temperature in the storage room. This is usually the case because wine tends to be very sensitive to very warm or cold temperatures. Because of this, you should always store your bottles, including any single-serve wine, at a temperature of between 12 to 19ºC. This is also true for any wine you’ve placed into decanters.
You should also avoid constant temperature fluctuations or risk destroying your collection. Avoid taking bottles in and out of the wine cooler to ensure the temperatures don’t fluctuate greatly. Otherwise, the cork’s continuous expansion and contraction might let in the air inside and destroy the wine.
2. Ensure Proper Humidity
You should always store your bottle of wine in the right humidity levels. Ideally, your storage area’s humidity should be around 70 percent. Remember, dry air will cause the corks to dry out over time, leading to the entry of air into the bottle. As a result, your wine might get destroyed due to the effects of oxygen.
Wine bottles shouldn’t be stored in highly humid environments since this makes the labels come off from the bottles. If you’re looking to sell your wine in the future, issues like this would make it harder to sell. Likewise, extremely humid conditions promote the growth of molds due to the excessive moisture. To address this issue, you should invest in a dehumidifier.
3. Invest In A Wine Refrigerator
For long-term storage of your wine, a wine refrigerator, also popularly referred to as a wine cooler, is the ideal storage option. Compared to a regular fridge, a cooler is the ideal storage space for your wine because:
• It guarantees proper humidity and optimal temperatures since its temperatures range between 10 to 15ºC. In contrast, the fridge is very dry and cold, and this can severely degrade or spoil your wine.
• It prevents cross-contamination from food and other beverage odors, which might destroy the wine’s quality.
• It prevents the wine from freezing, pushing out the cork, and exposing it to oxygen.
4. Store Your Wine In A Convenient Location
While it’s vital to ensure that your wine is stored in a safe and conducive environment, you also need to make sure that it’s easy to access. Wine is typically a great conversation starter, so it’s a good idea to store where it’s easily visible and accessible. Find an area where you can quickly and effortlessly access your wine and enjoy your favorite drink.
5. Assess The Wine You’re Planning To Place In Storage
Before you even store your wine, there are several things you need to consider, including:
• The type of wine you’re looking to place in the storage.
• Are you planning to store the wine in a wine cellar or a wine cooler?
• How long do you looking to store the wine?
• What quantity of wine are you looking to store?
• It’s important to ask yourself these questions to understand which storage option is more suitable.
6. Store The Wine Bottles Horizontally
If you have unopened wine bottles, the best way to store them would be to place them horizontally. This long-term storage method is advised since it prevents the cork from becoming dry. Storing your wine bottle horizontally is more space-efficient, making it an excellent choice if you only have limited space. This method also makes it easy to access your bottles.
7. Store Your Wine Far From Direct Sunlight
You should always store your bottle of wine in a dry and dark place to protect its superb taste. Doing this is crucial because direct exposure to fluorescent lights and sunlight leads to the oxidation of sulfur-causing amino acids. This leads to the wine having a weird odor.
Storing your wine away from direct sunlight is especially vital for white wine. This is because they come in bottles that aren’t dark; hence, they’re more exposed to incandescent light which can ruin the wine’s integrity. To ensure your wine is protected from light exposure, make sure to store it inside a cabinet with UV-resistant doors. You can also choose to wrap it with a cloth or place it inside a box.
8. Protect Your Wine Bottles From Vibration
When considering the perfect storage area for your wine, make sure to opt for a place that’s not near vibration sources such as a stereo system, a washer, or dryer. This is because even the slightest vibration causes sounds and movements that can affect your wine’s aging process and ruin it. It’s best to store your wine in a cellar since this area is usually safe from vibrations.
However, if you live close to a highway or subway, the cellar doesn’t completely prevent vibration. In such scenarios, you should get a bubble wrap or Styrofoam to cover your wine before you place it in the cellar.
9. Storing Opened Wine Bottles
If you want to store a bottle of wine that’s already been corked, make sure to recork it immediately. Before doing this, place a wax paper around the cork. This wax paper helps prevent external things from falling into the wine and allows the cork to slide into its original position effortlessly. A rubber with a stopper is also a viable option if the cork is already destroyed and can’t be reused.
Takeaway
Properly storing wine is something that many people often struggle with and, due to this, end up ruining or spoiling their collection. If you don’t want to experience a similar issue, make sure to follow the tips above on storing your wine safely. With proper storage, you never have to ever worry about compromising the integrity and quality of your wine.
