One big fun about being a wine enthusiast is that you enjoy seeing your collection with time. Whether you keep the bottles for a daily sip or on special occasions, it is vital to store your wine properly to preserve its taste. Storing your wine bottles does not have to be a challenge as long as you have purchased the right wine rack. At the same time, you also need to know the “don’ts” of wine storage. Below are crucial things to consider when storing your wine and others that you must avoid so that you don’t ruin your collection.
Crucial Things When Storing Your Wine
When storing your wine, ensure you do the following to keep your expensive bottles safe and in good condition.
- Consider the Temperature
You must know that wines age differently under the same temperature. Therefore, it is important to store the wine at the right temperature. Don’t keep the temperature too low or too high. The thing is that your wine will age well as long as it is subjected to the right temperature. Therefore, during wine storage, ensure you observe the temperature.
- Balance Humidity
When you think of humidity, you probably don’t think about the harm it does to you as you go on with your daily life. True, excess humidity can ruin the quality of air inside your house. At the same time, the same humidity can also impact your wine collection. Excess moisture may lead to mold growth on the bottles ruining the aesthetics and the wine inside. On the other hand, low moisture leads to dried-up corks, which lets air inside. This air ruins the wine with time. Therefore, find balance in the amount of humidity in the house.
- Keep Out Sunlight
Heat and sunlight are the main culprits. The UV rays affect the contents of the wine, making it age prematurely. Therefore, you may realize that the wine has an inconsistent taste. Therefore, block out sunlight to ensure it does not reach your wine collection.
Mistakes to Avoid in Wine Storage
While you ensure the factors mentioned above, avoiding the following mistakes is vital.
- Leaving the Wine Uncorked
After pouring yourself a glass of wine, make sure you put the cork back before putting the bottle in the fridge. Even if the refrigerator is a good place to store your wine, it exposes it to fluctuating temperatures and less humidity.
- Storing the Bottles Upright
Experts advise storing wine bottles sideways and not upright. This ensures the cork will not dry out with time. Therefore, no extra air can enter the bottle.
- Storing the Bottles in an Area with High Vibrations
Vibrations can ruin the consistent aging of your wine. Therefore, avoid storing it near appliances like the dishwasher, refrigerator, or washing machine.
Closing Words!
These are simple ways and mistakes to avoid when storing your wine. After filing your collection, the last thing you want is to have ruined wine. Therefore, store it at the right temperatures and ensure enough humidity and no sunlight. Additionally, don’t store the wine uncorked or upright, and remember to keep the bottle away from vibrations.