There’s nothing like a glass of wine after a long day. Whether you’re sipping it on your own or sharing it with friends, the experience is even better when you have a fresh bottle ready to go. In order to do that, though—to make sure your chosen wine stays in prime condition for as long as possible—you need to store it properly. That can be tricky: The wrong environment can lead to oxidation and spoilage that ruins your bottles before their time! But fear not; we’ve got everything you need to know about storing wine at home right here.
What are the general rules for storing wine?
Storing wine properly is important for both the longevity of your investment and the quality of your experience. First, you have to know what kind of bottle you have—red or white? The second question is whether you should store it upright or on its side (and if it’s a sparkling wine). Keep wine in a cool, dark place. All wines generally benefit from being stored at 55°F (13°C). On top of that, reds are better kept at cooler temperatures than whites. Be sure to choose a place where light won’t reach them either! Light has an adverse effect on many types of wines; exposure can prematurely age them and even make them go bad faster than normal if stored too close to windows or other sources with strong ultraviolet rays. It might also bleach out labels which could then become illegible over time due to discoloration caused by fading ink pigments within printed text.
Do other factors matter?
Wine storage temperature: The temperature you store your wine in is a big factor, but it’s not the only one. If a wine is stored at too high or low a temperature (hotter than 55 degrees Fahrenheit), it can lose its flavor and body. But if you store it in an area that’s too cold, the same thing will happen—the grapes won’t be fully ripe when they’re picked and fermenting happens more slowly, which means less acidity and more sugar in the finished product.
Wine storage humidity: Humidity levels are also crucial to keeping your wines happy, because excess moisture causes cork failure through hydrolysis and oxidation. Too much humidity can cause mold growth on the bottle’s neck—and if you’ve ever opened up an old bottle of wine with moldy residue around the rim instead of any liquid inside it at all (we’ve all been there), then this will come as no surprise! On the other hand, if there isn’t enough humidity in an area where bottles are being stored for long periods of time (such as cellars), then corks may dry out from lack of hydration over time—and that leads us back again into territory where air-tight seal integrity might suffer due to oxidization due to exposure outside its protective seal on top (or worse yet: inside) its container body itself.”
Now that you know the rules of wine storage, you can use them to make sure your wines last as long as possible. Remember that if you’re storing wine for longer than a few days, it’s best to keep it in a cool and dry place away from sunlight or heat sources. If you follow these simple guidelines, then we promise your vino will taste just as good when you open it again next year!
