Whether you’re a casual drinker or a connoisseur of the arts, wine can be found throughout many cultures and enjoyed by people around the world. However, with every drink of your favorite vintage comes proper care and storage for it to remain at its finest quality. A few simple steps for storing wine at home are all you need to elevate your wine collection. Wine is something that has stood the test of time. It has been around for more than 4000 years and though it changes its form, color, or flavor –it still lives on being a drink that people enjoy having with family and friends.
It is a great alternative indeed to other alcoholic drinks because of its rich history and because of its ability to inspire all sorts of wonderful occasions from gathering around the table to passing it down from generation to generation. But as much as you love wine being so versatile there are quite a handful of things you should take into consideration when storing it. In order not to turn any bottle into spoiled wine, here’s what you need to know:
Invest in a Wine Cooler for Storing Wine at Home
Table of Contents
It sounds like a drinking problem, but the truth is that drinking wine at room temperature isn’t such a great idea after all. A cooler is especially important for storage because it keeps the wine in optimal condition and its taste at the same time. If you want to preserve your wine and bring out its best taste, storing the bottles inside a wine fridge is the best thing to do. However, be careful with storing white wines in there as temperatures above 44°F can cause the quality of them to suffer since their flavors tend to be very sensitive and volatile.
Typically, reds are more sturdy when it comes to storage which means they can stand lower temperatures than whites. The ideal storage temperature for red wine is around 55°F –62°F. Keep in mind that even if a bottle of wine is already chilled it does not mean that the taste will be as great as possible for drinking because it’s been exposed to too low or too high temperatures at some point. A wine cooler, while not completely preserving the wines for a long period because of oxygen exposure, does help in keeping it fresh and tasty.
Don’t Expose The Wine To Light
Exposure to light will change the color of your wine, not to mention that it can spoil it. You should always store your bottles in a dark place away from sunlight. This is very important if you have an open bottle as this greatly reduces its life span. Keep the bottles at room temperature for red wines and cold for white wines- The same goes for both. White wines are best stored cold around 45 degrees Fahrenheit while reds are best kept at room temperature around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Using any other form of storage mechanism can take its toll on your beloved drink so keep this in mind at all times!
Store Bottles Upright
The storage method you should use when storing bottles is to ensure that the cork remains moist so it’s best if you keep them upright instead of laying them down. The fruity essences remain preserved at their highest quality and also, the cork won’t dry out and allow air to get into it. The wine will be safe from oxidation and also prevent the cork from coming loose or breaking. Also, remember that if you lay down your wines too long they might end up spilling all over the place due to the increased pressure caused by gravity. Remember to keep your corkscrews safe because they tend to get rusty quite easily especially if kept in humid conditions like the inside of a cellar or chilled wine storage room. Find appropriate cabinets or cupboards where you can store both your bottles and your corkscrews away from dust.
Use Proper Temperature to Chill White Wines
If you love drinking white wines, it is best that you don’t keep them always in the refrigerator because it can make them lose their cool notes. Ensure that when chilling your white wines you place them at an appropriate temperature both for your fridge and for your wine cooler. Cold temps are not good for whites since they help remove the fresh aromas that characterize this kind of wine making them taste duller than desired. If there are no temperature options available, simply pop the bottle inside an ice bucket or fill a vessel with cold water and ice cubes so you can always chill your white soon enough before serving so its flavors remain intact.
Also, to have the best red wines, you should place them with their necks pointing down so no part of the cork touches anything inside your refrigerator as you want to avoid oxidation as much as possible. As for white wines, keep them on their side and do not return them into the refrigerator once emptied because this affects how they age over time. If storing a new batch of white wine it is best to place them with the neck pointing up. If you want to avoid a musty smell, a simple trick of sprinkling a little bit of salt into the bottle will do the trick and absorb any moisture that may have been inside it. Packaging your wines properly is also really important to keep them from spoiling for good.
Keep Bottles in a Dark & Cool Space
For instance: a cellar is probably the best place for keeping bottles of wine even though many people choose to store them in their garage or basement because not only do these places tend to be cooler than other parts of your home but also because there’s less humidity which can cause mold growth and spoilage. On top of that, you should always remember to keep the bottles in a dark place where there’s no direct sunlight because it can cause certain wines to have a bitter taste.
Properly Store Each Bottle
You always want to make sure that the wine you store is placed in an upright position with the cork greased up and with some silicone placed over it so it doesn’t come loose. The way you store your wines matters a whole lot too. If you have red wines, for example, lay them on their side whereas if you happen to be storing your light-bodied white wines then keep them upright on their feet (like how they were when they were still on the shelves of your local wine shop). This will allow proper air circulation which will keep the wines fresh.
Properly storing bottles of wine isn’t that hard after all, but there are still certain things you need to keep in mind if you don’t want anything bad happening to your precious drink collection. Just follow the tips shared above and then enjoy straight from the bottle or pour it into a glass for everyone present to help themselves with. And remember: good quality wine always tastes better when shared among friends, family & loved ones!
Image Source: BigStockPhoto.com (Licensed)
Site Disclaimer
The Content in this post and on this site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Nothing contained on our Site constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by HII or any third party service provider to buy or sell any securities or other financial instruments.
Nothing in this post or on this site constitutes professional and/or financial advice. You alone assume the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content in this post or on this site.
You recognize that when making investments, an investor may get back less than the amount invested. Information on past performance, where given, is not necessarily a guide to future performance.
Related Categories: Booze, Reviews
