One of the most enjoyable things about being a wine enthusiast is building a collection. Buying wine for future enjoyment is tons of fun, and you don’t even need a massive wine library of thousands of bottles to be part of it. Just by keeping a case of your favorite wine at home, you can consider yourself a wine collector.
Storing wine, though, is tricky. Our favorite fermented juice is quite moody and can be damaged by the slightest temperature changes. Before we dig deep into wine storage, let us invite you to take a private winery tour to the Yarra Valley with us. We’re the most dedicated Melbourne tours and real wine aficionados ourselves. Let us share our passion with you.
1. Say no to light!
We know, you want your wine collection out there where everyone can see it, but light, especially direct sunlight, can damage your wine. UV rays destroy wine at a molecular level ruining its aromatic personality, so look for a dark place to store your wine. Green and brown bottles are a bit more resistant to light but take special care when storing clear glass bottles.
Pro tip: Keep your wine away from your windows.
2. Wine can’t take the heat
The proper wine storage temperature is between 10°C and 16°C. Warmer than that, and your wine will age faster than you want it to. If you’re storing wine for a few weeks, you might not have to worry about this too much, but if you’re looking for long-term storage, then you might want to store your wine in a cool basement. Wine refrigerators are also a great option, and they’re not as expensive as you think.
Pro tip: Store your wine away from heaters, air vents and radiators.
3. Humidity matters too
Too much humidity might ruin your bottle’s labels, but we can safely say the bottle’s contents will be just fine. Too little humidity is something to avoid, though, as it can dry the corks allowing oxygen to find its way into your bottles, effectively turning wine into vinegar. A relative humidity (RH) of 50% to 70% is what you’re looking for.
Pro tip: A basement or the nook under the staircase might be ideal.
Store Wine At Home, But Don’t Forget Wine Is All About Sharing!
Storing wine correctly is essential, but more important is knowing why you’re holding it. Unless you’re storing wine as an investment, you shouldn’t worry too much about long-term storage conditions.
Pop open a special bottle of wine whenever you have friends and family coming over. That’s what wine collections are all about. Your home is no museum, so don’t wait for a special occasion to open a particular bottle of wine.
Opening the bottle is the special occasion. Share your passion for wine with your loved ones and give some rotation to that wine collection! Buying wine is fun too!
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