I talk a lot about types of wine, producing wine and the enjoyment of wine. One other aspect that is very important is the storage of your wine once purchased.
Even wine stored for a short time in extreme temperatures can be harmful. Yet while some people don’t take proper care in storing their wines, others take it to the opposite extreme – building elaborate cellars to maintain constant temperature and humidity when it may not be needed.
Although proper storage is important, what you are storing needs to be addressed as well. While spending tens of thousands of dollars creating a safe hideaway for your prized Bordeaux’s may be worthwhile – especially if you are purchasing wines as an investment – other times this can be a waste of time and money.
Most of us purchase wine for consumption, not long term storage. Purchasing a bottle or two of wine to have with dinner within the next few weeks will do fine in a simple wine rack, or even standing-up.
A few caveats here: Never store wine in direct sunlight or near a radiator or other heat source. Try not to store wine in your kitchen, since this room typically has the wildest temperature swings in the house.
The majority of wines in a wine shop turn over fairly quickly so storage isn’t as much an issue. At home though, if you are planning on storing wines for extended periods you want to ensure your long-term wines don’t spoil. Here are some important factors to consider:
Temperature
One of the most important things is to make sure your temperature is cool and more importantly steady. Ideally a room that consistently maintains between 55-60 degrees is best, but unless you are storing wines for decades then you can get away with a room that is slightly warmer. Just keep in mind that wine stored in warmer temperatures will age faster. Most importantly, the temperature of the room should be consistent. If you have swings from 60 degrees in the winter to 80 in the summer that is not ideal and you may find some bottles going bad.
Humidity
As important as temperature is, humidity is equally important. If the room is too dry then the cork will shrink, allowing air to penetrate the wine and you will start to lose bottles. If you can maintain 50-70 percent humidity that will keep the cork moist. Much higher though and the labels will start to mildew.
Humidity is much easier to control than temperature, and you can inexpensively add a humidifier or dehumidifier to a room to handle this job.
Light and Vibration
Light is fairly simple. Wine likes to be in cool, humid and dark areas. Having a light on for a short time to choose a wine for dinner is fine, but as light penetrates bottles over time the ultraviolet rays can harm wine. Light also produces heat which, again, is unwanted.
Experts vary on how important a lack of vibration is to wine. Some say unstable storage areas can harm wine, others disagree. My advice…if you have a room with above normal vibrations from pipes, machinery or other sources, try to find a better area.
Size of Collection
Where you store your wine ultimately comes down to how much you have to store. If you simply want to put away a dozen or two bottles for a few years then invest in an inexpensive wine refrigerator. You can store anywhere from 12 – 100 bottles and have the self-contained unit maintain all the necessary variables for you.
If you are determined to sock away a few hundred bottles of wine for long term aging, then consider a large wine cabinet with a cooling unit or even building or retrofitting a room in your house for your collection.
If you are lucky, you’ll have an area…likely in the basement…that stays consistently cool with good humidity all year, and with minimal effort you can have what is called a passive cellar.
Most people aren’t that lucky. In that case building a wine storage room requires a special cooling unit – sort of like an in-wall air conditioner. This type of room is called an active wine cellar, and can cost much more due to the strict construction requirements in order to allow the cooling unit to work efficiently.
If you do determine that you are ready for a true wine room, then opt for something that will hold more bottles than you already own or plan on getting. Once you have caught the wine collection bug, you’ll find that space gets filled up quickly.
Just beware, creating storage in your home can be a costly procedure, from a few hundred dollars for a simple wine refrigerator up to tens of thousands for a large insulated room. So make sure you know what you really need...not just what you'd like to have.
Finally, enjoy the wines you do age. Too many people wait for the “right” occasion to open that special bottle of wine. Sadly that occasion never seems to come, and the collection grows, but the ultimate pleasure from your years of hard work is never realized.
Even wine stored for a short time in extreme temperatures can be harmful. Yet while some people don’t take proper care in storing their wines, others take it to the opposite extreme – building elaborate cellars to maintain constant temperature and humidity when it may not be needed.
Although proper storage is important, what you are storing needs to be addressed as well. While spending tens of thousands of dollars creating a safe hideaway for your prized Bordeaux’s may be worthwhile – especially if you are purchasing wines as an investment – other times this can be a waste of time and money.
Most of us purchase wine for consumption, not long term storage. Purchasing a bottle or two of wine to have with dinner within the next few weeks will do fine in a simple wine rack, or even standing-up.
A few caveats here: Never store wine in direct sunlight or near a radiator or other heat source. Try not to store wine in your kitchen, since this room typically has the wildest temperature swings in the house.
The majority of wines in a wine shop turn over fairly quickly so storage isn’t as much an issue. At home though, if you are planning on storing wines for extended periods you want to ensure your long-term wines don’t spoil. Here are some important factors to consider:
Temperature
One of the most important things is to make sure your temperature is cool and more importantly steady. Ideally a room that consistently maintains between 55-60 degrees is best, but unless you are storing wines for decades then you can get away with a room that is slightly warmer. Just keep in mind that wine stored in warmer temperatures will age faster. Most importantly, the temperature of the room should be consistent. If you have swings from 60 degrees in the winter to 80 in the summer that is not ideal and you may find some bottles going bad.
Humidity
As important as temperature is, humidity is equally important. If the room is too dry then the cork will shrink, allowing air to penetrate the wine and you will start to lose bottles. If you can maintain 50-70 percent humidity that will keep the cork moist. Much higher though and the labels will start to mildew.
Humidity is much easier to control than temperature, and you can inexpensively add a humidifier or dehumidifier to a room to handle this job.
Light and Vibration
Light is fairly simple. Wine likes to be in cool, humid and dark areas. Having a light on for a short time to choose a wine for dinner is fine, but as light penetrates bottles over time the ultraviolet rays can harm wine. Light also produces heat which, again, is unwanted.
Experts vary on how important a lack of vibration is to wine. Some say unstable storage areas can harm wine, others disagree. My advice…if you have a room with above normal vibrations from pipes, machinery or other sources, try to find a better area.
Size of Collection
Where you store your wine ultimately comes down to how much you have to store. If you simply want to put away a dozen or two bottles for a few years then invest in an inexpensive wine refrigerator. You can store anywhere from 12 – 100 bottles and have the self-contained unit maintain all the necessary variables for you.
If you are determined to sock away a few hundred bottles of wine for long term aging, then consider a large wine cabinet with a cooling unit or even building or retrofitting a room in your house for your collection.
If you are lucky, you’ll have an area…likely in the basement…that stays consistently cool with good humidity all year, and with minimal effort you can have what is called a passive cellar.
Most people aren’t that lucky. In that case building a wine storage room requires a special cooling unit – sort of like an in-wall air conditioner. This type of room is called an active wine cellar, and can cost much more due to the strict construction requirements in order to allow the cooling unit to work efficiently.
If you do determine that you are ready for a true wine room, then opt for something that will hold more bottles than you already own or plan on getting. Once you have caught the wine collection bug, you’ll find that space gets filled up quickly.
Just beware, creating storage in your home can be a costly procedure, from a few hundred dollars for a simple wine refrigerator up to tens of thousands for a large insulated room. So make sure you know what you really need...not just what you'd like to have.
Finally, enjoy the wines you do age. Too many people wait for the “right” occasion to open that special bottle of wine. Sadly that occasion never seems to come, and the collection grows, but the ultimate pleasure from your years of hard work is never realized.