How
To Store Your Wine
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So,
you love wine, you've bought
a few of your favorite bottles
and you store them in a wine
rack on your counter or on
top of your refrigerator.
Then one day your friend brings
you a bottle and you get another
bottle for a gift and you
begin to run out of room on
your counter. Then you begin
thinking...where is the best
place to store my wine. Most
wine lovers have seen the
day that requires graduating
from a couple bottles in a
rack to coming up with some
sort of system to sort, store,
and keep wine accessible.
The following are some tips
for keeping your wine healthy
and tasting good long-term.
Wine
is best stored under cool,
dark, airy conditions, free
from vibration, odors and
dampness. A cellar need not
be under the house. The single
most important factor is temperature
stability. Wines stored where
the temperature varies gradually
with the seasons are better
off than wines stored in a
room which is heated during
the day and then allowed to
cool to winter temperatures
at night.
The
ideal cellar temperature is
12-15oC(53-59F) with a relative
humidity of 65-75%. It is
worthwhile using a thermometer
to monitor summer temperatures.
It may be a cause for concern
if the cellar temperature
goes much over 18oC(64F),
as warm conditions will accelerate
the development of your wines,
possibly reducing the pleasure
to be had from them.
Store
wine on its side, ideally
with the neck sloping slightly
upwards so that the cork remains
wet, the bubble of air is
in the shoulder and any sediment
will collect at the bottom
of the bottle. This will make
the wine easier to decant.
Place the bottle with the
label facing up or use written
neck tags so you do not disturb
a wine to identify it. Align
the bottles so that the corks
are visible - this will allow
easy inspection for problems
such as leakage.
Depending
on the size of your cellar
and your budget, your wines
can be stored in either racks
or boxes. There are various
racking and storage systems
available ranging from metal
individual bottle storage
racks through to custom-built
wooden systems. Cardboard
cartons in which wines are
packed provide efficient insulation
and also protect the wine
from light. Another alternative,
albeit an expensive one, is
specially designed styrene
boxes, which provide excellent
insulation and double as wine
racks.
Air
conditioning and refrigeration
may effectively reduce temperatures
but will also reduce humidity
causing cork shrinkage. Buckets
filled with water and regularly
topped up will usually solve
this problem. Alternatively,
several companies now offer
cellaring cabinets of varying
sizes, that are, effectively,
modified refrigerators with
humidity control and these
same companies can also supply
humidity control units for
rooms.
It
is important to note that
your wines will mature more
quickly if your cellaring
conditions are not ideal.
If you are like me, you have
more everyday style wine in
your cellar than anything.
These wines are better to
drink quickly rather than
store for years and years.
However, proper storage conditions
will keep your wine from spoiling
too quick and you may be surprised
with the excellent aging results
you achieve with some higher
end or more complex styles
such as Bordeaux or Pinot
Noir/Burgundy. Try asking
your local wine merchant to
suggest some wines for you
that age well and have fun
starting a collection of age
worthy wine to go with your
everyday wine.
Learn
More about Wine Tasting
