Avoid Wine Storing Blunders

So you want to start growing your own wine collection.  Now the question is, how do you keep that delicious wine from spoiling because of poor storing practices?   If you think it’s ok to just place the wine on your dining room china cabinet where it’s exposed to direct sunlight, then you really need to read this article.

Before we get into that, you should understand that only a small percentage of wines see any benefit from aging.  Most wines are best consumed within a few years of release before they begin losing their tasteful qualities.  Besides, if you’re looking to do some serious aging, you’ll have to invest in some professional grade storage – you really need to be a wine enthusiast at that point.

Here are some practical tips for storing your more typical grilled-salmon-mashed-potato-and-veggies type of wine. 

Keep ‘em at the right temp

Wines like to be kept somewhere in the 45° F to 65° F range.  Too much heat can cause the wine to become flat and lose its natural aromas and flavors.  Keeping wine too cold in the refrigerator for long periods can cause corks to dry out, resulting in unwanted oxidation of the wine.  On top of the refrigerator is not a good option either, it can get rather warm up there!

Lights off

Wines don’t enjoy light, especially direct sunlight.  UV rays can prematurely age wine by degrading some of its qualities.  Therefore, try storing your wines in darker or shadier areas of the house.

Humidity is good

Keeping your wines in a cooler, more humid room is a great way to keep them fresh longer.  Ideally, humidity levels between 50 to 80 percent would be great for storage.   This suggestion mainly applies to tree-corked wines, as a humid environment will prevent drying out the corks, in theory. 

Set em Sideways

Here’s another suggestion pertaining to tree-corked wines: try to keep them stored on their sides.  In theory, keeping the liquid up against the corks will keep them from drying out.  No matter what kind of corks your wines have (tree, screw caps, glass or plastic), you’ll also find that storing them sideways is much more space-efficient and reminds you of the signature look of a wine cellar.

These are some great tips for the kinds of conditions ideal for storing your wines, but where in your house can you store them?  Not everyone is blessed with a cool, dark basement with ideal humidity levels.  Well first off, don’t think that every condition needs to be satisfied precisely without spoiling your wine.  The longer you store, the more it matters, but always be mindful of the extremes (like storing wine in 80°+ F heat in direct sunlight).  Don’t store your wines in the kitchen, as there are way too many temperature fluctuations.  Here are some quick location ideas:

• If you have a cool, not-too-damp basement
• A closet with extra space
• In a larger room away from direct sunlight

You can store using simple racks or maybe even buy a small wine cooler.  Just remember, most wines are better off enjoyed sooner rather than later.