4 Tips For Storing Your Wine

Have you bought wine specifically for the purpose of aging it and not drinking it right away? While not all wines benefit from the aging process, those that do need to be stored correctly for them to age properly. That's why you'll need to know some of the following tips for storing wine.

Wine Needs To Be Kept Cool

One of the most important things to know about storing wine is the temperature that it needs to be stored at. The area you use for wine storage should be no warmer than 70°F. Each kind of wine should be treated differently in terms of storage temperature, so do some research into the temperature requirements of your particular wine before storing it. If you store your wine in temperatures that are too high, it can end up cooking the wine and change the flavor over time.

Keep in mind that the temperature should not be too cold either, which is why you should avoid storing wine in a standard refrigerator. This can make the cork too cold and allow air to seep into the wine and cause oxidation. This is why there are refrigerators specifically for wine.

Wine Needs A Steady Temperature

Another thing to keep in mind when selecting a place for storage is that the wine should be a consistent temperature at all times. If the temperature is fluctuating in storage, it is going to cause the wine to seep through the sides of the cork or even push the cork out from the bottle. Small temperature fluctuations are okay, but avoid places like an unheated garage where temperatures could go down to below freezing at times of the year. 

Wines Need To Be In A Dark Place

Exposure to sunlight or UV light can cause the wine's taste to be ruined. If you are storing your wine in a room with windows, consider where the sunlight comes into the room and if it shines on the bottle. An ideal place would be in a closet where the wine will not get any sunlight at all. 

Wine Needs To Be Stored Sideways

You may not have realized that the position of the wine bottle makes a big difference. Wine should be stored sideways so that the wine is constantly in contact with the cork. This prevents the cork from drying out over the years, since you want to avoid air seepage around the cork. 

To learn more, contact a company that offers private wine storage services.