Wine Bottle Storage
I hope you’ve all enjoyed our monthly wine topics, I know I’ve enjoyed learning more about the wine and consulting with the family to ensure I’m bring you the most accurate info. This month we’re discussing wine bottle storage. If you were like me you bought a bottle and either left it on the counter or threw it in the pantry…don’t do that. Even the highest quality wine will turn quick if not stored properly.
There are many factors influencing how wine will keep, but temperature is by far the most important. Maintaining your wine around 55°F will ensure the bottle doesn’t spoil. Temperatures below can cause wine to through tartrates or even freeze which will pop the cork. Temperatures above 68°F will accelerate the aging process or turn it to vinegar. Along with proper storage temp it’s equally important that your wine doesn’t fluctuate as this can also cause the cork to expand or shrink allowing oxidation and changing the molecular structure of the wine. In other words, please do not leave these delicious works of art in your garage or car.
Another good wine storage tip is to keep the cork wet. If you’re looking for long, or even short term storage your bottle should be kept horizontally or cork down. This will keep your cork moist preventing premature aging. Another benefit to storing cork down is the sediment(not a bad thing) will settle on the cork allowing you to wipe or poor off the aging particles.
Lastly we recommend keeping wine bottles out of direct sunlight. Although most bottles are tinted to help prevent light strike, sunlight will damage the flavors and aromas of the wine.
If you’re unable to build a wine cellar a wine fridge is a great option to store your wine. Unlike a normal refrigerator it will support your wine at the proper temp, humidity, darkness and horizontal lay. The featured image is winemaker René Brons’ wine fridge and storage diamonds! For the average person, wine racks kept in climate controlled areas of the house and out of sunlight is also a great option.
– Jordan Brons, SFV Marketing
Rene with wine cellar