If you have got a bit of money spare to play with why not invest in a wine fridge. A dark, cool place with a constant temperature is the ideal place for storing your wine and if like me you don't have a cellar, try storing your wine in your under stairs cupboard, rack it out and load up your wine, alternatively, a well-insulated garage would do the trick too. Make a note of when you've stored them to ensure that you don't keep them past their best, an easy way of doing this is on an excel sheet. If the bottles are upright in a cardboard case, make sure it is sealed securely and turn it on its side (there would be nothing worse than your wine bottles crashing onto the floor!) If your wine is screwcap then there is no need for it to be stored on its side.ĭon't forget to check the drinking dates of your wines that you are wanting to store. If your wine is sealed with a cork, be sure to store it on its side, this eliminates the risk of the cork drying out. Foods like garlic and strong cheeses are likely to cause damage to the wine, the odours can contaminate the wine and in turn affect the wine's flavours and key characteristics. Another problem with storing wine in your fridge is that it is full of different foods, which brings me onto my next point. As the cork dries out it will shrink causing air (and therefore oxygen) to get into the bottle which will damage your wine or in other cases, the wine may simply leak out. The lack of moisture can dry out the cork which can result in oxidation of your wine. On top of the low temperature, the limited humidity in the fridge can cause more problems. The ideal temperature for wine storage is around 12oC. The average temperature of a fridge in the UK is between 3-5oC which is too cold for long term wine storage. Whilst it seems like the perfect place as when it comes to food and drink we tend to think of the kitchen, however the temperature fluctuates greatly in here every time the oven is in use. Another no-no is keeping it in the refrigerator. The worst places wine can be stored when it comes to controlling the temperature are near a radiator (pretty obvious I know but make sure there's not one on the other side of the wall!) or in the kitchen. Extreme fluctuations in temperature can cause premature ageing and if the temperatures get too hot it can destroy the wine. The sun's UV rays can cause serious harm to your wine such as premature ageing and degradation.Ī constant temperature is also required for keeping your wine at its best. When storing your wine make sure it is kept in the dark, total darkness isn't necessary, however, keeping it out of direct sunlight is. If you are planning on keeping your wine for a while then a little more care has to be taken in ensuring the wine will be at its best when it comes to opening. If you are planning on drinking the wine within the next couple of weeks then keep it on the wine rack and get ready to enjoy it, don't forget to pop it in the fridge on the morning of drinking if it's white so it can chill down, similarly a light bodied red served chilled can go down well too. It all depends on the wine that you are buying and when you want to drink it. How should I store my wine when I don't have a wine cellar? Is a question that I get asked a lot.
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