Wine 101 - Guide To Storing Wine
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How to store wine is the topic for this installment of our wine 101 guide…
A simple strategy for wine storage is to store bottles on their side in a cool, dark place, away from direct sunlight. If you do this, youll be able to keep your wine for longer because the flavors won’t be damaged. Still, learning a bit more about wine storage can help you maximize your wines quality.
Temperature is the most important factor to pay attention to. Keeping your wines between 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal; though a range of 45 to 65 degrees is considered acceptable. A temperature below the ideal range will prevent your wine from aging correctly. Whereas, warmer temperatures can cause wine to age prematurely (not in a good way).
The worst thing you can do to your wine is subject it to varying temperatures. It’s much better to keep your wine at a constant temperature, even if it is too high or too low, than to subject it to large fluctuations every day. The temperature should never fluctuate more than 5 degrees a day, especially with red wines, which suffer more temperature-related problems than white wines.
Another important element to wine storage is humidity; if your storage area is too dry, the corks on your bottles will dry out and allow air to get inside, which can lead to damaged wine. You want to aim for a humidity level of around 70 - 80% and can purchase a hygrometer to track this.
A wine cellar is the ideal place for storing wine because it maintains the optimal humidity and temperature; however, they aren’t practical for most people because of their size and cost. A basement or garage can be used to get similar results though. Just install a wine rack in one of these locations and include a thermometer and and temperature / humidity guage to keep track of conditions.
If you’re wondering how long to store your wine for, the answer is complicated; many factors contribute to storage length, not limited to the production technique, style of wine, and region where it was produced. However, as a general guideline, whites normally do not age for long, while reds age for 5-10 years. If you’re starting out, aging charts (which are available free online) can help you see when a wine is typically best enjoyed.
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