It’s said most wines are bought and consumed within twenty-four hours, which makes sense as opened wines don’t have a shelf-life after three to five days before they turn. I keep my small wine fridge full, about 15 bottles at any one time, with my regular table wines or a few trials. If I have a special occasion, I’ll grab a Rombauer or such a few days early so it can chill accordingly. For me, storage has never been much of a concern. But when the opportunity came to buy a case of my favorite Bordeaux at a flash sale, I was faced with the problem of how and where to hold my stock.
I should say I’m not a collector, not do I consider buying wine as an investment so my storage goal is simply working with the resources at hand. I don’t have a cellar (live in Florida) and pantry space is already at a premium. And even though we’re not talking about a huge amount of time to go through the case, with some given as gifts, under less than favorable conditions wines can go bad.
What seemed to be the biggest concern(s), and yes, I’m paraphrasing here, is keeping the air out of your wine and keeping it cool. All factors aside, most of the sources I’ve read revolve around two considerations: how and where to store your wine.
How to Store:
To this end, many experts say to store your bottles on the sides as opposed to standing. This will allow the wine to rest against the cork and keep it wet. If the bottle is a screw cap, it still won’t hurt to leave it horizontal as it makes for good space utilization. But if the cork dries, becomes fractured or slides up the neck of the bottle, you risk air seeping in and oxidizing the wine, giving it a coppery taste.
Where to Store:
The other significant point is maintaining a constant temperature and relatively stable humidity levels. Direct sunlight can be a wine killer, so a dark closet or pantry is your best bet. If those spaces aren’t available, then a wine cabinet could work just as well. That was the choice I wanted, but the only wall space I had available was near a west-facing window subjected to afternoon sun. In the end, I bought a decorative 12-bottle wire rack and filled in a table off a shaded wall that had the added benefit of being under an AC vent.
There seems to be mixed feelings among websites when it comes to humidity, but basically, it’s suggested you don’t store your wine in a hot, humid environment such as a garage or shed. Same message with cold and dry space. Temperature fluctuations from heat to cold can affect the wine and changes to humidity can alter the cork and let the air in. Be careful of damp spaces as well as you run a risk of mold to your labels.
Proper temperature for serving
A few years ago, when I decided to learn more about wine, I found out reds should be chilled below “room temperature”, which went against what I believed was the traditional school of thought. So, at a tasting I asked what that meant with regards to serving wine. As it turns out, it’s largely assumed the phrase came from the ambient temperature of the old-world castle cellars where it was stored, somewhere around 59 °F to 65 °F, which happens to be the optimal temperature range for reds.
I tried a few times to gauge the correct temperature by either guessing or using a thermometer, but in the end invested in my small 15 bottle wine fridge and highly recommend it as the best way to regulate wine temperature.
1. Deep and full-body Reds – The optimal temperature is anywhere from 58 °F to 65 °F.
2. Whites, lighter Reds – Keep it between 50 °F and 60 °F.
3. Dry Whites, Roses, Sparkling wines and Champagnes – Serve between 40 °F and 50 °F.
To decant or not to decant
One last note on serving. Decanting a wine brings a host of differing opinions. Some say it’s done to remove sediments, but honestly, I’ve only encountered sediments in my reds on very few occasions. Maybe it’s more prevalent in the higher-end wines, but I’m not at that price point yet! The other reason is to allow your wine to aerate or allow oxygen to “open” your wine and bring out the full flavor. I’m a believer of the latter. In every tasting I’ve been to, the instructor, steward or sommelier has always stressed on letting wine breathe, either in a decanter or in your glass. I decant if I know the entire bottle will be finished before the wine can become oxidized. Normally this means over dinner or with guests. I like pouring from a nice decanter, just a personal preference when it comes to serving.
I hope this blog has provided you with some beneficial information you can use in your wine exploits. As always, let me know if you have stories you want to share or any comments you’d like to leave with the rest of us. If you see something listed in our Amazon Partner banners that interests you, please use our links to follow through with your purchase!
All the best! Glen.
Sources used for this blog:
Wikihow Article
https://www.winespectator.com
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