Knowing the optimal way to cellar and store wine will help you get the most out of your wine. If you only intend to keep wine for a few months and live in a relatively moderate climate, you really don′t need to worry about wine storage, however if you are interested in storing wine, the following tips will keep your wine in pristine condition and allow it to develop to its full potential. It’s worth noting that the principles of cellaring wine are the same wherever you live.
Lighting
Wine needs to be kept in the dark as light can prematurely age and spoil wine
Storage
Wines bottled with a cork need to be stored on their sides to ensure the cork is kept wet. If the cork dries out it shrinks, allowing air into the bottle and oxidising the wine. Wines sealed with a screw-cap do not need to be on their side.
Temperature
The temperature needs to be cool, ideally between about 10 and 15 degrees. It also needs to be stable. It is far better to have your wine stored at a constant 17 degrees than to have it in an environment where the temperature fluctuates.
Cellaring
In order to create your own ‘cellar collection’ there is one very simple starting point - you have to buy more wine than you currently drink. You also have to be committed to not drink the wines ‘earmarked’ for cellaring. Not everyone has the luxury of space or the right conditions to create their own climate-controlled cellars, but there are some simple options to enhance the cellaring process:
- Wine cellar cabinet are quite affordable to purchase and come in varying shapes and sizes
- Use a professional wine storage provider
- Pick a cupboard or a spot under a staircase in the centre of the house
- For those with underground garages these are usually ideal as they are dark and fairly cool with consistent temperatures
Finally, 'turning wine' on a regular basis is an old wives tale. Wine should be left to rest - leave the wine where it is and how it is when you first laid it down. Combined with the right conditions, this will ensure a wonderful wine when it is ready for drinking.