Many people enjoy sipping wine after dinner, but a few take their passion to the next level by storing their wine as a hobby. They do it because it tastes better with age.
If you are a wine collector, you should know how to preserve it correctly to grow it in value and quality. Here, we give you a low-down on seven crucial points you need to consider when storing your wine for the best results.
Maintain the temperature
You need to keep your wine at an adequate temperature. The ideal is 55˚F, but this can differ depending on your wine’s quality. To know the exact storage temperature, you should contact the wine manufacturer.
Store in a wine fridge
If your wine cooler’s temperature is higher than 70˚F, your wine will age quickly, leaving it flavorless and dull. And if you keep it below 25˚F, it will freeze, leading to loss of flavor. Therefore, don’t store it in a standard fridge with a temperature below 35˚F.
A wine fridge maintains its temperature between 50-60˚F, which is ideal. It also provides proper humidity. If you are a wine lover, don’t fret about the cost, as investing in a wine cooler will pay off many times over.
Maintain proper humidity
An ideal wine cooler is cool, dark, and moist, with the temperature ranging between 50-60˚F. The humidity level in it should also not exceed beyond a certain level.
Different wines require different temperatures. The optimal storage temperature also varies with whisky and beers. Therefore, it would be best if you don’t keep them together in the same storage unit.
Avoid extreme lighting
When you store your wine for a long duration, ensure that your cooler does not let in sunlight. The sun’s UV rays can degrade its flavor and aroma, making it useless.
That is why wine producers use colored glass bottles to shield wine from direct sunlight. But that doesn’t work every time, so you need to ensure that your wine storage unit is dark. You can use incandescent lights; they generate little UV rays.
Avoid vibrations
Vibrations quicken the chemical reaction in the wine and damage it in the long run. They unsettle the sediment in the bottle and ruin the aging process. So, when you store your wine in a cooler, make sure it is far away from anything that causes vibrations, such as dry-washers, exercise areas, or even the traffic outside.
Keep your wine bottles horizontally
You may wonder why it matters how you place your bottle, but it matters a lot. It would be best if you keep your wine bottle horizontally in the wine rack. Else, the cork dries out, and it leads to premature aging. Horizontal placement keeps the cork moist while utilizing minimum storage space without damaging your wine bottles.
Re-cork your wine bottles
So far, we discussed sealed wine bottles, but what to do with the bottles you have opened but want to store? An opened wine bottle can last for up to five days. Try to re-cork it as soon as possible to extend its life. You can also use wax paper around the cork to seal it.
About Xtra Storage Companies
We offer the best-in-class storage facilities for your wines. For any queries regarding wine storage, you can reach out to us by filling out our online contact form.