Posts Tagged ‘how to store wine’
Storing Wine
Storing wine is the focus of this part of our wine 101 guide…
A simple method of wine storage is to keep your bottles sideways in a dark place away from heat or light. If you do this, youll be able to keep your wine for longer because the flavors won’t be damaged. However, knowing a bit more about wine storage will help you get the best out of your bottles.
Temperature is an important factor when you’re dealing with wine. 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. As bad as it is, a steady temperature in extreme heat or cold is much better than constantly varying temperatures, even if the change is within the ideal range. The temperature should never fluctuate more than 5 degrees a day, especially with red wines, which suffer more temperature-related problems than white wines.
Humidity is also important as, unless its properly maintained, it can cause the cork to dry out, and this allows air to come into contact with the wine (which damages it). 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. However, you can mimic the conditions of a wine cellar in a basement or garage. Making some space in either and purchasing a wine rack and temperature / humidity gauge are highly recommended if you intend on storing more than a few bottles of wine at a time.
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. In general though, you should drink whites quickly and age reds for five to 10 years. If you’re starting out, consult a free online aging chart to to assist you with this aspect of wine storage.