Every wine lover knows the importance of storing the bottles properly. However, not everybody does it correctly. For instance, your love for this amazing drink has surely inspired you to create your own wine storage rack. You’re most likely considering placing it in the kitchen or a space where you can admire your collection regularly. Although it may look incredibly appealing, if you don’t provide the proper conditions, the wine’s content will change, ultimately ruining your pleasure. For that reason, allow us to show you how to store wine with our helpful tips!
Why Wine Storage Matters
Wine is essentially a living entity. More precisely, when wine comes in contact with the outside world, be it air, temperature, or sunlight, its body will change. This is especially important to consider if you’re thinking about purchasing vintage and rare bottles. Unfortunately, not all of us have the luxury of having wine cellars in our homes (consider yourself lucky if you do!), so we have to resort to different alternatives. For most people, this is either a wine rack or special cabinets. While both are designed to keep the wine in its original form, you still have to place it in (near) ideal conditions. This is exactly what you’ll find out from the following wine storage tips!
Wine Storage Tips
Here are some effective wine storage tips that will keep your bottles in optimal condition.
1. Adjust the temperature
One of the most important aspects of storing wine is the temperature. Usually, the ideal temperature for storing wine is around 13ºC, but this number isn’t set in stone since every wine has a “preferred” temperature. Most importantly, the bottles shouldn’t be kept below -4ºC as the wine will freeze. Additionally, temperatures above 20ºC speed up the aging process, ultimately running the content.
Wine also doesn’t like fluctuating temperatures. Namely, the cork is the most affected by it since it can expand and contract with the changing temperatures. This will allow air to come inside the bottle, and you already know what happens to the wine when this happens. With that in mind, try to always keep the room temperature stable and refrain from exposing it to drastic changes.
2. Store in the proper humidity
In addition to temperature, humidity can also greatly affect the wine’s longevity, specifically the cork. When the humidity is low, the cork can dry out and start to crumble, allowing oxygen to enter the bottle. In contrast, high humidity can make the labels peel off. While this may not matter much to the casual drinker, collectors may have a hard time recognizing certain bottles without the label. With that in mind, try to keep the humidity around 60%.
3. Protect from light and vibration
As previously mentioned, sunlight exposure directly affects the wine’s content - that’s why we store them in cellars. After sipping on a bottle that’s been exposed to the sun, you will notice that the flavor is significantly different. On top of that, the wine loses its aroma, making it highly satisfactory.
Surprisingly, wine bottles should also be kept in quiet places. After a hard day of work, you like to come to your tranquil sanctuary without a vibration or sound in sight. Well, wines are completely the same, sans the work part. Vibration of any kind can disturb the bottle’s sediments and disrupt the aging process. With that in mind, keep your rack away from dishwashers, washing and exercise machines, and even stereo systems.
4. Store horizontally
There’s a reason why wine bottles are laid down rather than put upright. When the bottle is on the side, the wine keeps the cork moist which is imperative when you’re storing it for longer periods. In contrast, dry corks cause premature aging and allow air to enter the bottle. Naturally, cap-covered bottles can be placed both horizontally and vertically since the placement doesn’t affect the wine’s content, but the former option is significantly more space-saving.
5. Consider buying a wine fridge
While there’s nothing wrong with storing a wine bottle in your fridge for a day or two, this is not the best idea for long-term plans. “Regular” fridges are very cool and dry which is favorable for food, but not wine. Luckily, you can purchase a dedicated fridge for wines. Compared to “regular” ones, wine fridges keep the bottles at the ideal storage temperature (13ºC), ideal if you’re planning on long-term aging. Moreover, the wine won’t come in contact with any food odors - those too can affect the flavor and aroma.
Finally, you should also learn how to properly store opened wine. Since this is a pretty extensive subject, you might want to read our detailed guide. After you’ve set up your wine rack, the next step is filling it up! With that said, discover our excellent wine selection, and we’ll deliver your bottles in no less than two days!
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