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Wine Storage Tips

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wine storage tips

If you already own a fully equipped wine cabinet or custom wine cellar, chances are you have a good idea of which conditions your precious bottles of wine need to keep and develop with age.

But if you don’t, then you may be tempted to think that a wine storage system is little more than a glorified refrigerator. Many of us (myself included) keep wine bottles stacked on the counter or a few whites chilling in the fridge. A true wine enthusiast balks at this idea — wine requires proper storage, and an everyday kitchen cabinet doesn’t quite cut it. If you’ve been considering building a proper home for your wine collection, try taking a look at your basement. Now, if you do not have a wine cellar (or basement) you can choose the other best locations. There are three important things to remember before selecting a proper wine storage area: location, location, location. Wines are fragile and need certain conditions to give them a chance of surviving.

Here's our Tips on keeping your wines at their best without spending a lot:

1. Keep it Cool

If the temperature is too high, you’ll speed up the process and the wine will have less time to develop its structure and taste. Even worse, if it gets too hot, then you’ll effectively end up stewing your wine, spoiling the flavor and flattening the aroma.This is probably the most important factor to consider. Suggested wine storage temperature is 50°F to 60°F. Maintaining that temperature in your house would probably freeze you to death and substantially increase your energy bills.

Even if you can't achieve those temperature goals, we recommend you find the coolest closet in your house or apartment, place a thermometer inside and check it once in the morning, again at midday, and finally at night. Compare them and see how consistent they are relative to each other.

But Not Too Cool

Keeping wines in your household refrigerator is fine for up to a couple months, but it’s not a good bet for the longer term. The average fridge temp falls well below 45° F to safely store perishable foods, and the lack of moisture could eventually dry out corks, which might allow air to seep into the bottles and damage the wine.

2. Direct Light

This can be a problem too. Direct sunlight presents two problems, light and heat, so definitely keep your wine away from outside windows. Light, especially sunlight, can pose a potential problem for long-term storage. The sun’s UV rays can degrade and prematurely age wine. One of the reasons why vintners use colored glass bottles? They’re like sunglasses for wine. Even lamps can be hazardous to your wine's health so avoid them too. You should keep exposure to sunlight to the absolute bare minimum. And always remember to switch off your cellar or cabinet light when you leave.

3. Give your wine bottles some air to breathe

As many Wine Connoisseur suggests, Wine is a living thing (not literally, of course). Good air circulation is essential, as this will help keep away mold and prevent any intrusive odors from penetrating and spoiling your wine.

4. See Things Sideways

Traditionally, bottles have been stored on their sides in order to keep the liquid up against the cork, which theoretically should keep the cork from drying out. (Bottles are stored horizontally for a reason: to keep the cork moist and prevent air from getting into the bottle.) If you’re planning on drinking these bottles in the near- to mid-term, or if the bottles have alternative closures (screw caps, glass or plastic corks), this is not necessary. We will say this, however: Horizontal racking is a space-efficient way to store your bottles, and it definitely can’t harm your wines. And if you live in earthquake territory, the angle will help keep your bottles from sliding off the racks.

5. Keep your wine cellar clean

Insects, mold and vermin can pretty well make their way anywhere. So keep your wine cellar or cabinet thoroughly clean and never put food, such as fruit and vegetables, in the same storage area.

So these are the 5 points that you should keep in wine while store your wine. Now there are some donts that you should definitely avoid:

Do Not:

  • Do not store your wine on heated floors.
  • Do not put your wine directly on concrete floors, Put a thick piece of wood under the wine boxes
  • Do not "trunk-age" your wine. Please take it out of your car.

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One more thing: OK, I have a wine cellar; now, how do I stock it? WSJ answers this question very well. - There’s this sense that, if you’re “serious” about wine, you must go out and buy a case of Bordeaux, two cases of Burgundy, six bottles of Port and so on. Again, relax. Let this happen organically. When you have a wine you like, buy another bottle of that and put it in the cellar. If you have a wine that really seems young to you — maybe it tastes hard and tight, or it makes your mouth pucker — buy two more. Before you know it, your cellar will be filled — and it will be filled with wines really worth collecting: ones you enjoy.

Finally, always remember to lay your wine down with labels facing up. That way, you can always see just what it is without having to disturb it. Now before storing up your wine in your celler or cabinet you have to purchase the wine of your favorite types and from your favorite brands. Liquor Online is an ideal place to buy wine online. We have huge collection of Wine types and brands, and we are one of the largest affiliated online liquor stores of UK. Stay tuned for more interesting stuff like this.

References: WSJ, WineTasting.com

Hope this helps!

About Author

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Brodey is an enthusiastic marketing and advertising strategest out of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Brodey has always been passionate about liquor and alcohol in general. You will find Brodey on the weekends either out on the football pitch kicking goals or down the lake with a glass of wine.

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