Wine Storage - Where do you keep the Wine?
There are very specific requirements when storing wine long term. The humidity, temperature, and limited access to light are all important components. The more expensive the wine investment, the more and more essential proper storage becomes. To be fair, there are only a small percentage of wines that are really age worthy beyond five years. French Bordeaux Blends and Italian Barolo are typically able to be cellared for extended periods of time 10, 20, 30 plus years and they come with a normally higher price tag. But, what about the wines we buy everyday? How long can we keep them?
The answer varies with the grape but in the red wine world, age ability revolves around tannins and structure in the wine. The stronger the tannins the longer it can potentially stand up to time. On the white wine side, Riesling and sweeter whites (i.e. Sauternes) is able to stand some aging due to the acidity in the wine (and sugars to a certain extent). Basically, you need to put the wine in an area where it will not be subject to wild swings in temperature and limited (or no) access to light. So, the top of the fridge or in front of a radiator are not good ideas. Also, the age ability of the wine is subject to the quality of the grapes. At $10 to $20 the ability for the wine to age beyond a couple of years is limited. This means that the 2011 Malbec you just bought for $15 is really ready to drink now and will probably only get a little better if you hang onto it for another year or two.
So, we have a few wine racks we use to store wine (not always full) but they are in our dining room. We might be better served by keeping the wine in the basement but we would need to control the humidity in order to make sure the corks don't dry out or mold. The most effective way is to use a wine fridge but that comes with a price tag and generally speaking, limited storage.
The other thing to remember is that wine is a living thing and it has good days and bad days. That 2004 wine that you are keeping for a special occasion may not be at its peak when you open it. Any red wine that you know you want to keep you might be well served by buying a few bottles to 'test' over time. Once you get to the point where you see the wine at its best, drink it. That assumes you are able and willing to buy multiple bottles of whatever the wine is, sometimes one is all you get.
So, that comes back to you. Where does your wine collection live? Wine fridge? Basement next to the freezer? Let us know where you keep your stash. Or is it Wine Collection? I don't know what that is....
Keep on drinking!
Chris & Shannon
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| Storing Wine in Style |
So, we have a few wine racks we use to store wine (not always full) but they are in our dining room. We might be better served by keeping the wine in the basement but we would need to control the humidity in order to make sure the corks don't dry out or mold. The most effective way is to use a wine fridge but that comes with a price tag and generally speaking, limited storage.
The other thing to remember is that wine is a living thing and it has good days and bad days. That 2004 wine that you are keeping for a special occasion may not be at its peak when you open it. Any red wine that you know you want to keep you might be well served by buying a few bottles to 'test' over time. Once you get to the point where you see the wine at its best, drink it. That assumes you are able and willing to buy multiple bottles of whatever the wine is, sometimes one is all you get.
So, that comes back to you. Where does your wine collection live? Wine fridge? Basement next to the freezer? Let us know where you keep your stash. Or is it Wine Collection? I don't know what that is....
Keep on drinking!
Chris & Shannon
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