How to Store Wine

Very few wine lovers are fortunate enough to own a cellar that is build specifically for their wine collection. Since most of us have imperfect storage arrangements for our wine we really need to understand how to protect our wine from conditions that could damage it.

Each wine will react differently to adverse conditions. Most of the time red wine is more robust and white wine is more delicate. Of course there are also variations between the different kinds of grapes as well. Regardless of these different variations there are still some factors and options that you need to consider when storing your wine. These include: 

1. Temperature and light are what are responsible for doing the most damage to your wine. The ideal temperature is 7 – 13 degrees C. When you keep you wine at a warmer temperature it will mature faster. Whatever you do though you will definitely want to keep your wine at a constant temperature. If you are able to keep all of the other factors at their optimum then you can store your wine at room temperature as long as this temperature remains constant. The best place to do this is against your Northern wall, especially underneath a set of stairs or inside of a well-insulated garage. It is a good idea to keep a thermometer here too so that you can make sure that the temperature remains consistent. 

2. Your wine needs to be kept somewhere dark because both natural and artificial light can do a lot of damage to your wine. If you cannot find a dark place to keep your wine then block off the area with a curtain or cover your wine with a blanket. 

3. Humidity also plays a role in wine storage. The ideal range of humidity is between 70 – 75%. Without this humidity oxidation tends to have more of a chance of occurring. 

4. Wine should not be moved a lot. If you really need to move your wine or if it has just been delivered then you need to let the wine rest for a few days. If you live in a house that is shaken a lot by traffic, trains, or planes, then your wine needs to be stored in the area that is least affected.