If you’re a wine lover, you probably love to curate a wine collection that suits your tastes. After all, wines, particularly the red ones, can be one of the healthy food options that help free yourself from blood pressure symptoms.
However, collecting wines isn’t only about choosing the best ones for your needs. It’s also about preserving them correctly so they’ll grow in quality and value. With good storage, your wine collection can last for decades and become tastier until you’re ready to drink them. Conversely, if you have poor storage, things can go amiss and change your delicious vino into something sour, like vinegar.
If you want to store your wine effectively at home, below are nine ways to consider from the get-go:
Evaluate The Wine That You Want To Keep
Before thinking about storing your wine at home, you should first evaluate the type of wine you want to preserve for a long time. Typically, wines differ from one another based on several factors. For instance, some wines need a colder temperature than the others.
Because of this, you should get to know your wine collection so you can think about the best way to store them properly in your home. You can do this by looking at the wines’ proper humidity, light, temperature, and other essential guidelines.
Use A Wine Rack
For your wine to mature properly, you need a safe place. Although there are several ways to store your wine, using a wine rack can be an excellent way to do this. It’s a set of shelves that can be used to have an organized storage of wine without compromising their safety and quality.
Unlike other storage options, a wine rack can be a great investment for wine lovers like you. There are many sizes and designs to choose from, all of which are very affordable.
For instance, small to medium-sized racks can be a perfect fit for your wine collection at home. Thus, if you want to use this set of shelves to keep your wine stored for many years, start checking the best wine rack idea for your collection.
Keep Your Wine Cool
Heat is one of wine’s primary enemy. Meaning, you should keep your wine collection at a colder temperature to achieve desirable results. In most cases, temperatures higher than 70 degrees Fahrenheit can cook your wine, leading to flat flavors and aromas. Hence, if you want to store your wine at home properly, use the ideal temperature to keep it cool, which ranges from 45 degrees to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, you should bear in mind that storing your wine doesn’t have to be done in your household refrigerator. While you can keep them cool for a couple of months, it’s not a good option if you want to preserve it for a longer-term.
After all, putting your favorite vino bottles in your fridge and forgetting it for hours can turn the liquid into ice and, in turn, can expand, pushing the cork out.
Dim The Lights
Like temperature, light can also affect the way you properly store your wine at home. Too much light, especially sunlight, can age and damage the quality of the wine. That’s one reason why most winemakers use colored bottles to protect the vino’s taste and flavor.
On the other hand, the light coming from the fluorescent bulbs doesn’t really degrade the wine itself, but it can cause the bottle labels to fade in the long run.
Because of this, it can be an excellent idea to dim the lights of your storage area. If possible, choose a space in your house that isn’t exposed to any kind of light. That way, you can expect your wine collection to mature deliciously.
Store Wine Bottles Horizontally
If you have wine bottles with corks, it’s best to keep them horizontally to avoid premature aging and seepage. When you store your wine collection on the sides, you can ensure their corks’ moisture for a long time and protect their tasty flavors and aromas.
Also, keeping horizontal storage for your wine can be an efficient way to maximize your space in your house.
Protect Wines From Vibration
It’s also crucial not to place your wines from areas with more sources of vibration. Generally, vibrations from the washer, stereo system, exercise area, and many more can disturb the sediments and cause the wine from aging prematurely.
Therefore, you should keep your wine collection away from areas that are exposed to vibrations.
Avoid Stacking Wine On Top Of Each Other
Just like other kinds of vibrations, regularly moving wine bottles can also cause damage. The more you pick up bottles and put them back on their sides, the more the vino’s aroma and flavors are going to be less tasty.
For this reason, it’s best to build a storage system that lets you remove a single bottle without disturbing the others. You can also do this by not stacking wine on top of each other.
Keep Corked Wines Away From Strong Odors
Although it seems convenient to store your wine collection in the kitchen or basement, it’s best not to do so. Since wine tends to breathe through the corks, you should keep them away from strong odors as they can spread through the cork, tainting the wine.
For example, to preserve the wine’s aromas and flavors, be sure not to place them near foods, like garlic, and paint cans in the basement. If possible, look for a designated spot to properly and safely keep your collection at home. This can be an area away from foods with strong odors, cleaning products, and other harmful contaminants.
Properly Keep Open Bottles Of Wine
When you have open bottles of wine, they can last three to five days when stored properly. If you intend to keep them in your wine collection, you should preserve them efficiently to extend their shelf life and ensure their original qualities.
To do this, you should recork them tightly and promptly by placing some wax around the cork and sliding it back into its original position. If recorking isn’t possible, you can try a rubber wine stopper to create a tight seal. That way, you can still keep your open bottles of wine properly.
Final Words
If you really want to start a fine wine collection, it’s important to build a good storage system to preserve their quality. Thus, by keeping these tips in mind, you’ll never need to think about turning your wine’s flavor to something flat and bland.
