Wine Storing Do’s and Don’ts According to the Experts

Have you ever bought some wine and the next day it tasted flat? It’s probably the storage. Whether you’re a wine collector or you’re a one-off buyer, learning how to store your wine properly is a must. How you keep your wine makes all the difference in taste. You need to consider factors such as temperature and light for correct preservation. 

Continue reading for some excellent storage tips that will leave your wine aging well.

1. Do Check the Temperature

Too much heat or frequent temperature changes can spoil your wine. The best temperature for your wine is between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. If you want to achieve perfection, anything above 50 but below 60 degrees Fahrenheit gives good results. 

But, you can check the wine label for storage temperature directions. So, keeping your wine in places like the attic, where temperature can fluctuate, is a bad idea. 

2. Do Keep In a Wine Fridge

If your conditions aren’t perfect for wine storage, don’t sweat it. Although it’s tempting to keep your wine in a basement because it’s cool, the humidity could cause mold. You can buy a cooler to keep the wine at the right temperature.

You should never put wine in the regular fridge as the temperatures here are cold and dry. Besides, having a separate cooler for your wine helps you avoid contamination from other foods. This means getting the ideal wine cellar cooler for your needs if you want to preserve your wine the best way. 

If you have a huge cellar space, you can get a large cooling unit. A wine cooler specifically designed for smaller cellars comes in handy when your space is limited. This will see your wine preserved for as long as you desire at the right temperature and conditions. 

3. Do Protect It from Light

Light spoils the quality of your wine, making it age prematurely. This factor explains why wine bottles are mostly colored. Turn off the lights as soon as you leave your cellar and keep it away from sunlight for better tasting wine. You can also use incandescent bulbs in the cellar.

4. Don’t Store Vertically

The best way to store your wine is horizontal. Why? Storing the wine this way keeps the cork moist. A moist cork helps preserve the wine, while a dried-out one can lead to premature aging as it shrinks, letting air in. Horizontal storage also saves on space, allowing you to fit in more bottles.

While there’s no danger in keeping wine bottles with plastic corks or screw caps vertically, horizontal orientation racks are the most common in the market.

5. Don’t Subject It to Shaking 

Moreover, you should avoid storing your wine in a place that’s likely to experience vibrations. Such shaking can rattle the sediments and interrupt the aging process. Many experts believe that these vibrations could quicken the chemical reactions that occur in wine, damaging it over time. Especially for older wines, the stir-up of sediments could result in a gritty unpleasant texture, and the taste could be affected as well.  

For starters, this means that you shouldn’t shake your wine unless you’re about to pop the bottle and have a glass. Secondly, even minor vibrations from equipment like your electronics should be avoided during storage. Lastly, minimize the times you have to move it around so you can avoid shaking it up as much as possible. 

6. Don’t Keep It Too High Up

Keep your wine in a place that’s within your reach. Storing it too high increases the risk of breakage when you think of opening the bottle as you try to reach it. Buy a rack that’s within your reach, or make sure the top shelves are low enough for you. You can also decide to get foam padding when you’re handling the wine.

7. Don’t Keep It For Too Long At RTP

They say that the older the wine, the better the taste. However, it is not advisable to keep your wine for too long at room temperature. This is mostly because different wines will have different levels of acidity and tannins, plus the fruits they are made of vary. Some wines will stay preserved at room temperature for only two years maximum, whereas others will do a good 10 years. This is all the more reason to get a wine cooler, so you are sure your wine stays preserved for as long as you would like.

Side Note: Oftentimes, white wine is best served chilled while red wine is best taken at room temperature. 

Even the most expensive wines can lose their flavor if not stored properly. To preserve your wine, keep it in cool temperatures. Buy a cooler to avoid fluctuating temperatures. Remember, wine does poorly when exposed to light, so protect it at all costs. Further, store all your bottles horizontally.