How to Store Wine at Home

 Having a wine collection at home is perhaps one of life’s finer pleasures, especially if you’re a wine enthusiast.  However, it’s not all about picking the most exquisite wines that suit your taste and fancy. Proper storage is critical as it could make or break your precious collection. When wine is stored the right way, it can last for years without compromising its quality. On the other hand, poor wine storage could ruin even the finest wine.

To guide you on how to store wine at home, we've come up with basic ways that will ensure your wine retains its original flavor and aroma.

So, let’s get started!

Create A Wine Room

Consider creating a wine room to ensure your wine lasts long without diminishing in quality. Any room in your house could be converted into a wine room although the basement is probably the best area as it’s naturally cooler than the rest of the house. 

For better storage of your wine, you need to make sure to buy a wine room cooling unit to properly maintain the temperature, as fluctuations can cause your wine to age more quickly or even go bad. 

"Wine Cellar Cooling Unit from WineCellarHq.com"

Store Wine At Correct Temperature

The temperature takes the lead when it comes to factors affecting the quality of your wine in storage. Extreme and fluctuating temperatures could spoil your wine collection. Generally, you should store your wine at a constant temperature of about 13 degrees Celsius. However, this does not apply to all wines. To be on the safe side, consult the wine's manufacturer to know the proper storage temperature of a particular wine.

Additionally, it’s essential to note that no wine should be stored below -4 degrees Celsius. Storing your wine at such a low temperature could freeze your wine. On the other hand, storing wine above 20 degrees Celsius could hasten the aging process and ruin your wine just as well.

To ensure your wine retains its notable qualities even after a long time, you might need to invest in a self contained wine cellar cooling unit. Such units are easy to install and provide a climate-controlled environment for your wine collection.

Keep An Eye On Humidity

Aside from temperature, humidity is another critical factor that could affect your wine’s shelf life. High humidity in your wine storage area could cause mold growth as well as degrade the adhesive in the labels, causing them to slip right off the bottles. Wine bottles without labels are a sorry sight and not good for display. On the other hand, low humidity causes the cork to become dry, allowing oxygen to affect the quality of your wine. 

For proper wine storage at home, keep the humidity level consistently between 60 and 68%.

Store Wine In A Dark Place 

Storing wine where it’s exposed to direct sunlight could lead to the oxidation of amino acids, thereby affecting the wine’s original flavor. Even artificial light is detrimental to your wine collection. So, remember to store your wine away from sunlight and light fixtures.

As you might be aware, white wine stored in clear bottles is more susceptible to damage caused by light since clear bottles offer less protection than darker ones. 

The point is always to store your wine in a cool, dry, and dark place. If it’s impossible to store your wine away from light all the time, keep your bottles inside a box or wrap them with a light cloth. If you're looking forward to aging your fine wine in a cabinet, you may consider investing in a cabinet with solid or UV-resistant doors.

Position Wine Bottles Horizontally

Wine bottles with corks should always be stored horizontally in a wine rack. This ensures the cork remains moist, which is ideal for long-term wine storage. If the cork becomes dry, wine could seep out or air could seep in, which leads to premature wine aging.

As for screw-top wine bottles, they need not be stored horizontally, but storing them this way creates more space for wine storage and keeps them within easy reach. 

Avoid Storing Wine In A Fridge 

While it’s okay to store your wine in a fridge for a short period, storing it for long periods is not advisable. It not only makes your wine susceptible to vibration but also exposes it to odors that can affect its quality.

It's important to note that fridge vibrations interfere with the wine's chemical structure as it disturbs the sediments at the bottom of the bottle. By the same token, avoid storing your wine near vibrating appliances such as a washing machine or dryer.

If you have to store your wine in a fridge, always remember that white wine should remain in a fridge for not more than three days upon opening. However, if you use a wine pump, make sure you pump out the air from the wine, then reseal the bottle so the wine can last for a few more days. Luckily, red wine can last a few days at room temperature.

Keep Your Wine Away From Strong Odors

Don’t give in to the convenience of storing wine in your kitchen as it’s the worst place in the house for your wine, especially cork-sealed wine. Cork is porous, so any strong odors such as garlic, fish, or trash could permeate the cork and contaminate your wine. 

If you keep paint, detergent, and other cleaning materials in your basement, then it’s not an ideal place for storing your wine. Consider placing your wine rack in a dark and dry closet away from food or items with pungent odors to prevent your wine from being tainted. 

Refrain From Disturbing The Wine

Aside from fridge vibrations, moving the wine from time to time can also affect its quality. So, avoid routinely picking up and putting down your wine bottles unless you want to drink the wine. If you’re storing your wine bottles in an upright position, do not line up your bottles in two rows or more. On the other hand, if you’re storing your wine bottles horizontally, do not place bottles on top of each other. It would be advisable to invest in a storage system that allows you to pick a single bottle without disturbing the others. 

Conclusion

Wine should be stored under ideal conditions for proper preservation. As such, storing your wine collection in the kitchen, inside a regular fridge, or in the stuffy garage is out of the question. Guided by the tips above on how to store your wine at home, you can confidently add to your collection so you can enjoy wine anytime. So, what are you waiting for? Cheers!