The Basics of Proper Wine Storage

Wine is one of the oldest drinks known to the world. With a tradition as rich as the ancient Greeks and Romans who once enjoyed the drinks, consuming wine has evolved as a beverage with its own culture and beliefs, eerily reminiscent of modern religions. Yet for everyone that knows and understands the basic of wine storage, there are many who simply purchase a couple bottles from the grocery store without even so much as a thought to proper wine storage.

Storing the drink in a wine cooler or wine cellar is essential because wine is a perishable drink, just like the food you buy every day. Proper Wine storage can make the drink last much longer. It can also ensure that you're getting the most for your money when you're finally ready to enjoy a bottle.

While choosing a wine cooler or learning about the different wine cellars available can be an engaging task, there are some basics that can make a huge difference when storing wine. Following are some of the most important things to know about wine storage, whether you're looking to install a full wine cellar, pick up a wine refrigerator, or just interested in preserving that nice bottle of red that your friend gave you.

Temperature

Temperature is one of the most important factors of wine storage to understand. In fact, when storing wine for an extended period of time - really anything longer than one year - it is usually worthwhile investing in a wine refrigerator or wine cooler. An underground wine cellar, while fun to show off, just does not get cool enough and fails to keep the temperature at the constant level necessary for proper aging. 

There are several important temperature keys to keep in mind for the best wine storage:

• Keep the temperature below 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 Celsius) at all times. It is OK for the temperature to go about 75 degrees occasionally, as long as it's not for an extended amount of time. At 75 degrees, the wine begins to oxidize, so it's important to keep it below this level.
• The ideal wine storage temperature for storing a varied wine collection is 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12.2 Celsius). When working with a basic wine cooler or wine cabinet, this is your best bet temperature-wise. Going below 54 degrees will slow the aging process, but won't hurt the wine, provided the temperature is kept constant. Speaking of...
• Keep the temperature as steady as possible. When you're forced to change the temperature of your wine storage area or refrigerator, do so gradually to minimize any risk to the wine. Raising a wine's temperature forces wine through the cork, while lowering the temperature forces air back into the bottle. Ongoing temperature change can result in premature aging of the wine from overbreathing. A good rule of thumb for wine storage is to not change the temperature of your storage area more than three degrees a day, and no more than 5 degrees a year. This is especially important for red wines, as they can suffer more from temperature change than their white counterparts.

Wine Storage

Avoid light

Wine can be affected drastically by light - especially sunlight - so when storing wine it's important to keep it in the dark. Be wary of direct sunlight and fluorescent lights. Sunlight can lead to an unpleasant smell, and will actually ruin your wine. While this is particularly important for white wine storage, red wines in darker bottles have some additional protection, but can still be ruined by exposure to light.

If it's not possible to keep your wines away from light, try wrapping them in a soft cloth. Wrap it lightly to still allow the wine to breathe. You can also make a makeshift wine cooler from a box if need be. The important thing is to shield the wine from light and get it out of your way.

 Store on its side

There's a reason coolers are designed so that all the bottles sit on their sides. Storing the wine bottle on its side will keep the wine in contact with the cork. This is important because it keeps the cork from drying out. A dry cork will eventually start to contract and even crack, which will allow air to seep into the bottle and intermix with the wine. This can spoil the wine, as the added oxygen mixes with the drink. You also want to store the bottle with the label side facing up. This will allow you to more easily spot any sediments that might have formed in the wine. This can happen over time, regardless of your wine storage techniques, so it can be worthwhile to easily spot any problem areas.

Stability

If at all possible, do not move the wine while it's in storage. If possible, store your wine in a wine cellar or wine cabinet that is laid out so that you don't have to move or disrupt other bottles when reaching for or seeking out the bottle you're interested in drinking. Even the smallest of vibrations can affect your wine, including vibrations from nearby traffic, motors and even generators.      

Humidity

Keep the humidity in your wine storage area at a constant 70 percent humidity. A higher humidity level keeps the cork from drying out and minimizes evaporation of the wine. Be careful to not let the humidity level rise above 70 however. this can be an invitation to mold and can also cause the labels on the bottle to loosen and even fall off over a long enough period of time. If you're getting into serious win collecting, you might want to look into purchasing a hygrometer, which will gauge the humidity level in real time.

Isolation

Wine bottles should be stored in isolation from other perishable food and drink if at all possible. Wine breathes, so it is important you don't store it with anything that has a strong smell, because that smell can sneak into the cork and bottle, subsequently tainting and even spoiling the wine.

Time

This is where knowing your wines and varietals is important, as different types have different recommendations for proper aging. And not all wines actually improve over time. New World inexpensive wines, like the kind you'd normally find at your local grocery store will not improve at all through age, so they're meant to consume soon after purchase.

• Red wines: These wines can age for anywhere from two to 10 years before they're properly mature. The exact amount of time varies based on the type of wine and its balance of sugar, tannins and acid content.
• White wines: White wines don't take as long to mature, and many can be properly aged after only two or three years. Again, it will depend on the variety in question. For example, some white burgundies (chardonnay) can be aged for more than 20 years without reaching proper maturity.