When you think about storing wine, what comes to mind?
We aren’t all living atop an underground cellar, complete with spiral staircase and bespoke air conditioning (à la Beckhams), but we all store wine – even if only for a few days.
Temperature is the most common factor that we consider when it comes to caring for our wine.
Around 10-15°C is the ideal temperature to store your bottles, but we don’t recommend adjusting your house’s climate in aid of achieving this. Just choose the coolest part of your house.
Consistency is key. Wine likes to relax, unbothered by fluctuation in temperature or light intensity. Hunting down an area away from direct sunlight is a good start. Stay away from heaters, boilers and big lamps too.
Something you may not have considered when storing wine is vibration. It can affect your wine in two ways: first, it can re-integrate sediment into the wine, which you definitely don’t want. Second, it can alter the delicate components of the complex liquid.
Keep your bottles away from washing machines and bouncy floorboards.
Other tips and tricks
- Best wines for weddings – and how much you’ll need
- Five ways to open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew
- Which wine glass should be used for red, white, rosé and sparkling wine?
- What wine goes with roast chicken?
(Vibration won’t cause too much trouble for short-term storage, but months of jostling should definitely be avoided.)
Finally, angle: don’t keep your wines standing upright! Unless they are lying flat or cork-side down, you risk drying out the cork and subsequent nasty oxidisation.
For more tips and tricks on buying, storing and drinking wine take a look at our Wine Knowledge Hub which contains everything you’ll need to know to enjoy your purchases.
And if you’ve already opened a bottle, but want to keep it for a few extra days, watch the video below for our top tips.
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