Places To Store Wine At Home

People who love wine know how important it is to store wine in the correct conditions. If you fail to do this, it can seriously hinder the taste of the wine and diminish what could have been an excellent experience. Would you go to the trouble of acquiring a bottle of wine without taking the necessary steps to ensure that it reaches its maximum potential? That’s right, you wouldn’t, and that’s why you’re reading this article.

In this helpful guide, we’re going to take you through some of the best ways to store wine at home and why they are so useful. There is a common misconception that wine has to be stored deep within a centuries-old cellar, but this isn’t the case.

 

Make The Most Of Your Wine

In the modern world, there are a lot of ways to store wine and have it taste better than was ever previously possible. The main thing you need to do is make sure that you tick all of the boxes necessary, and you shouldn’t have trouble storing wine in a domestic setting.

It is worth noting that this is a general guide to wine storage that applies to the majority of wines, but not all specific wines. Before you decide how you would like to store your wine it is important to do research on the type of wine you are choosing to store, as each wine style has different needs. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best places to store wine at home.

 

Store It At The Right Temperature

Firstly, you have to find a place in your home that will allow you to store your wine at the right temperature. Temperature is perhaps the most important contributing factor when it comes to the final taste of a bottle of wine, so it’s crucial that you get this right.

Generally speaking, the best temperature for storing wine is around 55 degrees Fahrenheit, although this can vary depending on the wine in question. Because of this, you can feasibly store a bottle of wine in a cupboard, as long as the cupboard is in a suitable position where it will not attract any more heat.

Similarly, a fridge would be a suitable atmosphere for a bottle of wine as long as the temperature isn’t set too low. For example, it is never recommended that you store wine at anything below 25 degrees Fahrenheit. This will cause the wine to freeze, and even if you unfreeze it will never taste the same.

You should also ensure that you do not store your wine in a place that is likely to go above 68 degrees Fahrenheit because this can very easily spoil almost any bottle of wine. Why does this happen? Well, high temperatures accelerate the ageing process, and this destroys volatile compounds and results in a substandard taste.

Temperature fluctuations can make a wine cork expand or contract, and this could also be very detrimental, so it’s always worth keeping an eye on the temperature in the area you have stored your wine.

 

Store Your Wine Horizontally If It Is Corked

Find a place in which you will be able to store your wine horizontally. This is especially important for bottles with a cork top. This is because keeping wine on its side will keep the cork moist, and having a moist cork is one of the main things that benefit long-term storage. If the cork dries out, this can result in various unwanted effects such as premature ageing and seepage, both of which would ruin your wine.

Another great reason to store your bottles of wine horizontally is that it generally allows you to store them more efficiently. Horizontal storage is easy, straightforward, and excellent for organisation. If you have a decent-sized collection, it is definitely recommended that you find a place in which horizontal storage is possible, such as a rack or section within a fridge.

 

Keep Your Wine Away From UV Light

Keeping your wine in the dark is another great way to prevent it from spoiling and preserve it for much longer. UV rays can negatively affect wine and damage its flavour and aroma, which are crucial aspects of enjoyment. UV rays tend to come from direct sunlight, so it is recommended that you do not store your wine near a window or anywhere that sunlight could seep through.

In a sealed compartment or a windowless room, you could effectively prevent any sunlight from ruining your wine.

 

Store Your Wine At The Correct Humidity At All Times

As was mentioned previously, certain temperatures can really affect the way a wine tastes and have rapid effects on the ageing process. This also applies to humidity. Humidity is the concentration of water vapour present in the air and often hot days can come with a high level of humidity.

If there is too little humidity in the place you have chosen to store your wine, then this can cause the corks to dry out and will have the same effects that were mentioned previously. Exposing a bottle of wine to too much oxygen due to a dry cork is never a great choice.

Alternatively, too much humidity can cause labels to peel away and you won’t be able to identify the wine you have stored. This could be really problematic in a party or serving scenario, so it is always worth keeping an eye on the humidity present within your wine setting. Wine storage humidity should generally be around 60 to 68 percent, although this is not necessarily true for every single type of wine so you should check beforehand.

 

Final Thoughts

We hope that this guide has helped you to understand the necessary actions you need to take when storing wine at home. Thank you for reading, and remember that the most important thing about wine storage is that you get the most out of your wine and enjoy it!