How to Store Wine

Have a plan! Only a small percentage of fine wines on the market benefits from long-term aging.

Most wines are ment to be enjoyed within a few years from release.

Avoid rapid, extreme or frequent swings in temperature, vibration, light and humidity.

Avoid storing your wine in your kitchen, boiler room or laundry room. Or any room with direct light from a window.

Heat is enemy nr.1 for wine.

Temperature is the most important factor both for long and short term storage.

Too warm or cold temperatures easily spoil wine.

The key is stability. Keep your wine at stable temperature.

Fluctuations cause the cork to expand and contract allowing wine to seep out and air to seep in.

Ideal storage temperature is 13°C (55°F).

Cold temperatures such -4°C (25°F) cause the wine to freeze.

Above 20°C (68°F) the aging process accelerates and volatile compunds are destroyed.

Exposure to higher temperatures gets your wine cooked.

UV rays, from direct sunlight or artificial light, damage flavors and aromas creating a rapid oxidation.

Colored glass bottles are like sunglasses, they prevent the wine from rapid oxidation, a common wine fault.

Remember: tintet glass bottles block out light (sunlight or artificial) allowing the wine to age with grace.

Ideal humidity is 60-68%.

Humidity extremes impact your wine's longevity.

Too low humidity (dry cellar): the cork dries, air seeps in and wine seeps out. Fix it with a bucket of water placed in your storage.

Too high humidity (wet cellar): promotes mold, the labels peel off, difficult to recognize or sell. Fix it with a dehumidifier.

If your bottle is sealed with a cork, then it should be stored on its side.

This keeps the cork moist, avoiding premature aging and the most common wine fault, oxydation.

Bottles with screwcap can be stored standing up, but horizontal racking is space-efficient.

Your wine storage should be away from any source of vibrations such: dishwasher, washer, dryer, stereo system etc.

Vibrations disturb the sediment, they keep it from settling and speed up the chemical reactions.

A wine cooler is a wine refrigerator.

It keeps the wine at ideal temperature (13°C or 55°F), ideal humidity (60-68%) and ideal light (dark).

A wine cooler also prevents cross-contamination from food odors.

Consider investing in a professional wine cooler with 3 multiple temperatures zones: Champagne 6°C (43°F), White 10°C (50°F) and Red Wines 13°C (55°F). Ready-to-drink temperatures are a luxury.

Regular fridge storage: max for 2 months. Too cold temperature and lack of moisture damage wine on the long run.