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Are you looking for the best ways to store and protect your wine collection? Wine can quickly lose its flavour if exposed to oxygen. It is mainly due to spoilage by aerobic microorganisms and oxidation. However, building a wine collection and figuring out your wine storage solution is no easy task.
It takes a considerable amount of money, time and effort. Hence, losing your vintage wine collection because you didn’t set the right temperature for storage would be a great disappointment.
So, what is the best way to store your wine bottles? In the following, we will tell you everything you need to learn about proper wine storage and the best storage solutions. Keep reading!
Tips To Store Your Wines And The Best Storage Solutions
While wine collecting is not rocket science, storing your collections suitably is more science than art. There are primarily four factors that will affect the taste and quality of your wines the most. These factors include humidity, vibration, temperature and light.
Here’re some essential tips to help you safely store your wine:
1. Temperature
The ideal temperature for storing wine is between 12ºC to 14ºC. You will need to maintain this temperature all year round. Exposure to excessive heat will compromise the seal of the wine bottles. Hence, store your wines in humid, uninsulated places, such as a garage or near fireplaces. The expansion from the heat can push out the cork and cause your drink to become oxidised. It can even turn the taste sour permanently.
2. Humidity
Even if your wine bottles have screw caps, it’s still essential to maintain the proper level of humidity. Extreme dry environments can cause the cork to shrink and the wine to oxidise. White wine is especially more prone to this issue. Hence, when using a wine storage solution, ensure the humidity level is between 50% and 60%. While low humidity can lead to drying-out issues, high humidity may cause mould or mildew.
3. Vibration
According to experts, vibration can change or alternate chemical reactions of wines over time. It can cause the sediments to become agitated and introduce grittiness. If you want to store your wines for several years, vibrations can significantly alternate the quality of the drink. Therefore, avoid keeping the wines near the origins of vibration, such as dishwashers or washing machines.
4. Light
For the best preservation of wines, you should never expose them to direct sunlight. It is because the amino acids react to the lights and transform into unpleasant-smelling compounds. This condition is well-known as ‘light strike’. It can cause the wine to age prematurely and lose its authentic flavours and aromas. Thus, experts always recommend storing your wine in darker places.
5. Store Them Horizontally
A bonus tip: if your wine bottles have corks sealing them, try to keep the bottles horizontally. It will help keep the spigots moist, prevent oxidation of the drink and save a lot of space. But if the caps are metal or plastic, you can store them any way you wish.
The Best Wine Storage Solutions
So, now that you know how to store your wines, perhaps you want the best storage options for them too. Some popular wine storage options are wine racks, dedicated wine rooms and cellars. You can also choose to have wine cabinets, coolers or fridges. However, if you want to grow your collection, cellars and rooms are your best options. They are easy to customise, upgrade, and insulate, and you can install coolers, suitable lighting and much more to make them the best place for your wines. Plus, cellars come in a variety of sizes and price tags.
Final Thoughts
Heat, humidity, vibration and light can have permanent effects on your wine’s taste, aromas and quality. So, make sure to pick a wine storage solution that fits the mentioned criteria along with your budget and space. Hopefully, this guide will help you better take care of your wine collection and pick the best storage for them.
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