Been browsing online for the perfect wine storage solution?
Look no further than here for our top tips on how to store your wine.
From bottle posture and wine racks to temperature and why you should be thinking about how you store your stash; it’s all here!
Bottle posture
When we store wines, there are two ways we can orientate our bottles: on their side or upright.
There’s that old saying “it’s what’s inside that counts” – and here it’s especially important. Think about storing wine in racks in one of these three ways:
- If your bottles are corked with a natural stopper, they should be stored on their sides.
- Bottles containing Champagne or other sparkling wine can be stored in an upright position for short periods of time (let’s say a month) when they don’t fit in the racks. For proper storage though, you’ll have to have racks to lay them down like any other wine so the cork doesn’t dry up and carbonation doesn’t get lost.
- If your bottle has a screwcap or a synthetic cork, you can store on their sides or upright.
If you’re looking for a rack to store your wine, perhaps having a look at Cranville Wine Racks might help with your dilemma. They offer a range of racks to suit all needs, from a classic 15 bottle rack to wall mounted and the snazzy globe drinks cabinet.
Temperature & Humidity
Temperature in wine storage is often overlooked, which is shocking as it can affect how quickly a wine matures.
It’s recommended by The Wine Society that you should store wines between 10-13 degrees Centigrade (50-55 degrees Fahrenheit).
More on Temperature & Wine with our Wine Serving and Storage Temperatures 101
It’s also important to not store wine in a location where the daily temperature fluctuates frequently, as this can cause an uneven maturation.
See a perfect bad example of wine storage below:
Now That's What I Call…
A Well-Equipped Kitchen !
with 125 bottles of #wine hung on the wall…#WineLover CHOICE !!???? pic.twitter.com/f8vp0OA8ve— Julien Miquel #Wine (@JMiquelWine) November 22, 2016
Humidity is generally not detrimental to the quality of the wine, but it can cause problems with the cork. With most corks being natural, humidity can cause the cork to degrade – which can then impact on the quality of the wine. Humidity can also damage cardboard and wooden boxes. Making them go mouldy and soggy.
Lighting
One factor often overlooked is lighting, unless you’ve got a big fancy wine cellar.
Sunlight contains UV rays, which can degrade and sometimes age wine prematurely.
Nothing is worse than opening a bottle you’ve matured for a few years and finding out that it’s a little old for its time.
So keep your wine in the dark when it comes to its impending intake.
Shaking
According to the experts over at Wine Spectator, you don’t want to rack up your wine anywhere it might get shaken, rattled or rolled.
Even the gentlest vibration can speed up the reactions taking place inside the bottle, causing the wine to mature quicker. We can all agree that a quickly matured wine, is not always a very pleasant one…
The ideal location
Ideally, you’ll want to combine all the factors above, to create the best possible environment for your wine to mature.
Keep the light and heat levels down, throw in a rack or two and make sure they’re on a stable surface; we don’t want any of that precious nectar turning sour.
Finally, wherever you decide to store your wine, make sure you pick the correct bottle posture for the right wine. Cranville Wine Racks offer a range of wine racks and bespoke wine storage products, manufactured in the UK. They carry a wide selection of wood, wrought iron, chrome, and aluminium racks for both personal and business use.
4 Comments
Leave your reply.