| Like most things in life, there is a right way and a | | | | wine will suffer. One of the indications the cork |
| wrong way to store wine. Wine is an unusual | | | | has shrunk and wine has evaporated is the |
| item, because unlike many other food items, it | | | | appearance of a wine residue around the cork. At |
| can improve with age; vastly so. That means | | | | the risk of sounding like an alarmist, if oxygen |
| wine storage has two goals. First, the way the | | | | reaches the wine, the bottle is doomed. |
| wine is stored should protect all of its qualities | | | | Light |
| including flavour and colour and other important | | | | Wine likes to be kept in the dark. Exposure to |
| features. Second, wine storage should help the | | | | light will cause wine to age too quickly or it will |
| wine age gracefully. | | | | cause deterioration in the quality. That is why so |
| You do not have to be a wine connoisseur, | | | | many wines are bottled in dark glass bottles. |
| investor or collector to care about wine storage. | | | | Ultraviolet light can ruin the flavour and aroma of |
| Every bottle of wine you purchase costs money | | | | wine. |
| and you expect to get a certain level of | | | | Humidity |
| enjoyment from drinking the wine. It is very | | | | The humidity in the wine storage location should |
| disappointing to open a bottle of stored wine to | | | | be around 70% but it can fluctuate between 50% |
| discover it has been ruined due to exposure to | | | | and 80% without harming the wine. You notice |
| too much light or the wrong temperature. | | | | humidity can get fairly high, but when there is not |
| Pamper Your Wine | | | | enough humidity more serious problems can occur. |
| You can think of wine storage as a chance to | | | | In low humidity there is a greater probability the |
| pamper your wine. Pampering your wine will make | | | | cork will dry out and air will reach the wine. |
| sure it retains its excellent flavour when you are | | | | Bottle Angle While Stored |
| ready to open the bottle. The basic aging of the | | | | Anyone familiar with wine has heard stories about |
| wine needed before the wine is drinkable has | | | | always needing to store wine on its side. This is |
| been done at the winery. However, your wine will | | | | partly true. Table wine should be stored |
| continue to age after purchase which is another | | | | horizontally to preserve the cork. When wine is |
| reason why you need to pay close attention to | | | | stored on its side, the cork is kept moist by the |
| how you store it. This is especially true for red | | | | wine. |
| wines. | | | | Of note fortified wines need to be stored |
| Temperature | | | | standing with the exception of port. |
| The first storage consideration is the temperature | | | | Seeking Perfection |
| at which you should store the wine. Wine should | | | | When you store wine properly, it is going to |
| be stored at 10º to 12º Celsius, but you also | | | | pamper both the wine and your tastebuds. The |
| need to pay close attention to the fluctuations in | | | | proper storage of wine as a minimum protects |
| temperature which can occur wherever you have | | | | your wine quality, but in all likelihood will help to |
| the wine storage. It is the temperature fluctuation | | | | enhance it. It is very satisfying to open a bottle |
| which can cause the most damage to your wine, | | | | of wine and discover the rich or exotic flavour |
| and the temperature should not fluctuate more | | | | and aroma are simply perfect and perfectly |
| than 2º to 3º Celsius. | | | | preserved. |
| The reason this is true lies in the fact that cork | | | | Discover new wines and learn about wine with our |
| will expand and contract like wood. If the cork | | | | free wine lessons. Buy wine online at Wine. |
| shrinks and allows air into the wine bottle, the | | | | |