If you like wine, as I do, you can find any occasion to open a bottle. You may have a bottle or two around the house. That’s what I always did but I didn’t know one thing: how to properly store my wine.
There’s a lot of wine rules and standards that a bunch of wine enthusiast follow, but Ii was never one to follow them. I assumed that knowing the basics was all I needed to enjoy my wine just enough, without overdoing it. At first, I didn’t use a Ravenscroft wine decanter or even gave a second thought to the type of wine glasses I was using. This went for how I stored my wine. But then, on a lark, I thought I would try storing my bottles the way you are supposed to, and believe or not, the taste improved dramatically, so even if you aren’t overly consumed by the latest wine rules, consider this one on wine storage a staple.
Temperature: It does not matter what kind of wine you have, it should always be stored in a cool dry place! This is why wine enthusiast have wine cellars, for optimal taste! The best temperature for wine storage is approximately 55 degrees F.Any warmer than this temperature and you will definitly notice a difference in the taste of your wine. Moreover, make sure that the temperature is steady and not subject to fluctuation, as this will dramatically alter the contents of your wine bottle.
Light: Make sure if you want your wine to retain its original full flavor, that you store it in a place where not a lot of light can get at it. If a bottle of wine is in the light for extended periods of time, it will age the wine considerably, affecting its flavors.
Humidity: Another key consideration when it comes to optimal wine storage is making sure that the humidity levels are just right. It should be, on average, more humid than not in order to keep the wine corks from shrinking. Air will oxidize your wine, so make sure you don’t get cork shrinkage. So, what the right humidity level for storing wine? Somewhere between 65% and 75%. So it only makes sense that basements and cellars are perfect for wine storage.
Sideways: This may seem a strange one to some, it did to me, but there has got to be a reason so many wine racks and cellars hold their wine bottles sideways instead of upright, right? Yes. It is because in order to ensure that the cork is protected from shrinking, it needs to stay moist. This said, keeping a bottle of wine on its side, keeps the wine in constant contact with the cork, thereby keeping it moist.
Travel: When traveling with your wine, you know, to a party or to a BYOB resaurant be sure to use a wine bottle bag.This will protect your wine while boucing around during transport and hold the temerature as well.
Tags: bags, carriers, humidity, storage, temperature, travel, wine