Storing Your Wine, For Longevity

Wine is one of the most popular alcoholic tipples out there. But, are wine enthusiasts really getting the best out of their bottle?

Wine storage is really important. It’s actually just as crucial as selecting your favourite brand or palate. Without high-quality storage, that much-loved bottle could lose its enticing flavour or even go off.

Whether it’s your go to vino or an exclusive keepsake, we’re sure that you’ll want to avoid any casualties with your next bottle. To do so, follow the guidance of Elite Wine Refrigeration, leading wine storage specialists, shared in this blog.

Here’s 5 tips for storing your wine, whilst keeping its value, body and most importantly, distinctive taste, for the long-term.

Storage temperature levels

Many wine drinkers will believe that storage temperatures should differ for each kind of wine. Whilst we can see where this confusion has come from, it’s actually incorrect. Take a standard wine cellar for example, a home for all types of wine, maintaining the ideal temperature.

No matter the colour, brand, internal produce or quantity, wine should be stored at 12°C. For many reasons, including an organic and sought-after ageing process, this storage temperature should be maintained consistently.

If consistency is broken, and your wine is stored in a cool place, the body and taste of your wine could reduce, ultimately devaluing its brand. If your storage temperature levels are too high, the commonly desired ageing process will begin at an uncontrollable and unwelcoming rate, changing its color, taste and undertones.

Although serving temperatures do differ for all types of wine, highlighting the confusion, initial storage should meet these guidelines.

Storage humidity levels

Although optimal wine storage may seem like a complex thing to achieve, once you reach the ideal temperature, other areas should soon fall into place. Yet, to make sure your wine collection is kept at its peak condition, measuring humidity levels is encouraged.

Wine, again no matter its colour should be stored in an area with 55-80% humidity levels. This is a broad range as understandably, without a grand cellar, exact levels can be difficult to consistently control. But keeping as close as possible within the range is very important, to preserve your wine.

If your humidity levels are too high, it’s likely that moisture will be present in the air. This type of condition is a hotspot, a thriving area for the likes of mold, contaminating your vino. Ranking as undrinkable and off putting, we’re sure that mold strays far from your favored wines qualities.

If your humidity levels are too low, there’s risk that your wine cork will dry out. This can unknowingly lead to oxidization, where there’s a great chance that your wine will go off or drastically reduce in quality.

UV light control

Just like temperature and humidity levels, too much UV light can result in damaging effects. Consider the environment of a cellar. It’s dark, with controlled conditions. This is what you’re hoping for when storing your wine; although we do not expect every individual to own an industrial underground cellar.

Many wine drinkers will believe that the bottle will protect its inner qualities. Unfortunately, too much UV light can penetrate through the glass, causing discoloration and layers in the wine. Not only can its taste drastically change, UV light can disrupt organic ageing processes, ultimately reducing its value and preservation.

To avoid excessive UV light, a wine cooler or an allocated long-term home will be ideal for your wine collection.

Eliminate unwelcoming odors

Unwelcoming odors can enter and damage your wine. To avoid this mishap, you’ll need to control your wine storage. For example, if you’re storing your wine in an old cabinet, where moisture has entered, there’s a likelihood that mold has grown. Mold will give off a musky, outdated odor, difficult to extract. Without purifying this air, there’s risk that this odor could enter your wine, damaging it’s smell and taste, along with natural chemical reactions.

It’s also important to keep your wine away from strong odors, usually found in the kitchen. Although the kitchen is a popular home for most wine collections, contamination is likely with the number of different ingredients and cleaning products in the air.

Control surrounding vibrations

In an average household, vibrations are everywhere. In high footfall areas, movement is likely. These surrounding vibrations can unfortunately influence layers in your wine, along with disrupting its ageing process.

Although showing off your new buy, or having a little taste may be tempting, it’s important that you avoid all unnecessary movement when handling your wine. For the best possible results and longevity, leaving your wine to rest is recommended.

Controlling surrounding vibrations can understandably only be done to an extent. Yet, all efforts you make, by storing your wine out the way will reflect in its quality and taste.

Key pointers for optimal wine storage

If you take anything from this blog, in collaboration with Elite Wine Refrigeration, it should be that storing your wine is just as important as selecting the perfect bottle. Without storing it in an optimal setting, the wine you choose, for its distinct taste, smell or produce could soon be damaged and undrinkable.

Although most wine purchases are for the short-term, requiring reduced storage needs, it is important that the perfect storage condition is taken on board if wine preservation is your goal.

You can preserve your favourite wine by:

• Making sure that your wine is stored in 12°C
• Storing it in conditions where humidity levels are 55-80%
• Controlling excessive UV light exposure
• Eliminating any unwelcoming odors that can enter your wine bottle
• Controlling surrounding vibrations in your home or property

Although this may seem difficult to initially achieve, once you’ve found the ideal space, you’ll soon have a consistent home for your wine collection. We appreciate that not every household has the luxury of a wine cellar. But meeting similar conditions is a must, possible though a high-quality wine cooler or wine wall.

Get the most out of your next bottle by following these 5 storage tips.