The Right Storage Makes For Great Wine
February 11th, 2010
If you’re like me, you like your wine…a lot, and you drink it after work, with a special meal, or for a particular occasion. You may have a bottle or two around the house. That’s what I always did, that way I was always ready for a last minute guest or event, but I didn’t know one thing: how to store my wine properly.
Though there is a whole world out there of wine rules and standards that many enthusiasts follow to a ‘t’, I was never one to follow their convention. I assumed that knowing the basics was all I needed to enjoy my wine just enough, without overdoing it. At first, I didn’t use a crystal wine decanter or even gave a second thought to the type of crystal wine glasses I was using. This went for how I stored my wine as well. I decided to try something different, I stored my wine the right way and it made a huge difference in the taste of the wine.
Temperature: First off, no matter what type of wine you have on hand, it should always be stored in a cool setting-yes! This is why people have wine cellars for optimal taste! While the best tempurature for wine varies slightly, 55 degrees is a good target. Too much warmer than this temperature, and you will find a much more acidic taste to your wine-one that you won’t enjoy. Try to keep your wine at a constant temperature, as this change will dramatically change the taste of your wine.
Light: To help keep you wine in full flavor, be sure to keep it out of the sun. Wine that sits in the sunlight for long periods of time will prematurly age your wine in a bad way.
Humidity: Another key consideration when it comes to optimal wine storage is making sure that the humidity levels are just right. Overall, It should be more humid than not in order to keep the wine corks from shrinking. Air will oxidize your wine, so make sure you don’t get cork shrinkage. So, what should the average humidity be for wine storage? Somewhere between 65% and 75%. So it only makes sense that basements and cellars are perfect for wine storage.
Sideways: So many wine racks and cellars hold their wine bottles sideways instead of upright, this may seem a strange one to some, but it’s worked for thousands of years? Yes. It is because in order to ensure that the cork is protected from shrinking, it needs not to dry out. That said, the best way to keep the cork moist is to store your wine on it’s side.
Travel: When traveling with your wine, you know, to a party or to a BYOB resaurant be sure to use a wine bottle carrier. This will help keep your wine at the right temperature and keep it protected from bouncing around.
Related posts:
- Jasons Valuable Guidelines To Abide By If Choosing Wine Storage Cabinets
- Hints About Storage
- A Wine Fridge Makes A Great Addition To Your Home
- Guide For Storage Of Sauvignon Blanc And Other Remarkable Wines
- The Value Of The Right Wine Storage