Wine Storage Tips

Just like any other products, wine is bound to change its quality over a certain period of time. The way wine is stored affects the way these changes are manifested. This can be done easily by controlling the amount of light, temperature, air, humidity and variations that affect the wine. Of these factors, air is the most jeopardizing and all means should be put in place to keep it away. Air is known to oxidize wine and reduce its freshness. Oxidation makes a wine taste more like vinegar than wine itself. Air cannot leak through glass bottles therefore the best way to ensure air does not get to the wine is using a good cork. The cork should be moist and also ensure that other than the air left in the bottle during packaging, no other air leaks into the wine.

The best way to store wine is in a horizontal position because the cork will not crack and therefore let air into the bottle. Humidity in a room is also known to cause corks moist and hence grow mildew or to dry up too much and therefore crack. Wine should also be stored in a bottle that is almost proportionate to the wine to ensure that as little air as possible is in the bottle. Wine should be transferred to smaller bottles if not consumed. The wine should also be stored in a room where there are little vibrations or movement. In addition, they should not be moved too much until they are ready to be served. The quality of wine reduces after too much movement and vibrations and should therefore be avoided.

Another factor to consider when storing wine is temperature. It should range from about 5-18°C to ensure that the cork does not shrink and therefore let in air or does not cause the wine to age faster than it actually should. Most people store their wines in a wine cellar because it can maintain these temperatures easily. With good temperature regulation, wine cabinets can also be used for wines being consumed in a year or less. In addition, the rate at which the temperature changes is also important because if it changes by more than 10°C on a frequent basis, the quality of the wine might be compromised. The amount of light seeping through a bottle should also be standardized. Most bottles today are made with ultraviolet filters and therefore reduce the amount of light allowed in the bottle. An unpleasant aroma will be created if there is too much light passing through the wine bottle.