6 things you need to know about wine storage

Preserving wine is not rocket science. However, there are a number of factors that you should take into account to get the wine in your glass in optimal conditions.

What are the do's and don'ts for storing wine?

Wine is quite sensitive to external conditions and, moreover, it is one of the few consumer products that can improve with time. Although the latter only applies to a relatively small part of the total production: many of the wines on the market are not made for long-term storage.

Tip 1: avoid light

Light, especially sunlight, is capable of destroying wine in a short period of time.

Tip 2: pay attention to the temperature

A constant temperature between 10°C and 15°C is ideal. Below 10°C the wine will evolve more slowly, above 15°C a bit faster. But that in itself is not a big drama. The main thing in the constant: wine does not like temperature jumps. Also know that freezing is not recommended, the stopper could be pushed out of the bottle, or the bottle could burst. And after a while above 25°C wine gets somewhat 'cooked', keep that in mind.

Tip 3: take care of rest

A good bottle of wine likes its rest (how would you be?). He gets a headache from too much vibration and sudden movements. That is by the way one of the reasons why it is best to put a bottle aside for a few weeks after a longer transport.

Tip 4: think of the humidity

This is especially important if you want to store bottles with natural cork for a longer period of time. If the air is too dry, you risk shrinking the stopper and oxidizing the wine. The literature recommends a humidity of 60 to 70%. In principle, it is also possible to be moister, but the labels will suffer from that after a while.

Tip 5: store your bottles horizontally

This also applies especially to storage wines that are capped with natural cork. The wine keeps contact with the cork and ensures that it does not dry out.

Tip 6: keep out too pungent odors

A little ventilation wouldn't hurt in that sense.

Anyone can store wine

So you understand why old cellars are often ideal for storing your wine. They are usually quiet, dark rooms with a constant temperature. And when the temperature changes, it happens very gradually. Wine refrigerators are certainly a viable alternative. Also the cheaper models usually do their job. If you're willing and able to afford it, you can also build a new state-of-the-art basement, with temperature and humidity measurement, and all the bells and whistles. Either way, you'll go a long way if you keep the above points in mind.