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For
any wine lover, storing wine
well is very important. There are a few
simple principles that need to be understood in
order to select proper wine storage conditions.
We can logically break down the process into
just 3 categories: storing wine for the short
haul, storing wine for long term aging and
storing (or saving) wines that have already been
opened.
Short Term Storage:
This is wine you will consume within 6 months.
These may be bottles that are just home from the
store and destined to be consumed shortly or
bottles that have been pulled from longer
storage to be accessible for spur of the moment
consumption.
The
closer you can duplicate the conditions required
for long term storage, the better. However, in
many situations, keeping the wines in a box in
an interior closet is a satisfactory solution.
Keep
the bottles stored so that:
-
the cork stays moist
-
the wines are at the lowest
stable
temperature possible
-
the location is free of vibration
-
the location is not a storage area for other
items that have a strong odor
 Stay
away from those little 9 bottle racks that end
up on top of the refrigerator; it's hot, close
to the light and vibrates from the refrigerator
compressor.
Long Term Storage:
This is wine that you will keep for more than 6
months before consumption. A good storage
location for wine is generally
dark, is
free of vibration,
has high humidity
and has a low stable
temperature.
Generally accepted 'ideal' conditions are 50 to
55 degrees farenheight and 70 percent humidity
or higher. The high humidity is important
because it keeps the corks from drying and
minimizes evaporation. The only problem with
even higher levels of humidity is that it brings
on growth of mold on the labels or the loosening
of labels that have water soluble glue.
Temperatures lower than 55 degrees only slow the
aging of the wines. There have been wines found
in very cold cellars of castles in Scotland that
are perfectly sound and are much less developed
that those kept at 'normal' cellar temperature.
A near constant temperature is preferable to one
that fluctuates.
With
regard to light, most modern bottles have
ultraviolet filters built into the glass that
help protect the contents from most of the
effects of UV rays. Despite the filters in the
glass, long term storage can still allow enough
rays in to create a condition in the wine that
is referred to as 'light struck'. The result is
that the wine picks up the taste and smell of
wet cardboard. This is especially noticeable in
delicate white wines and sparkling wines. The
condition can be created by putting a bottle of
champagne near a fluorescent light for a month.
Regular or constant vibrations from pumps,
motors or generators should be avoided since the
vibrations they cause are thought to negatively
affect the evolution of the wines. One
additional factor to avoid is storing other
items with very strong odors near the wine.
There have been many reports of wines picking up
the aromas of items stored nearby.
If
you do not have a suitable wine cellar, there
are many types of 'wine refrigerators' that will
work as well. They differ from common
refrigerators in that they work at higher
temperatures (50-65 degree range) and they do
not remove humidity from the air. There are kits
available that will convert regular
refrigerators into suitable wine storage units.
Storage after opening:
This is storage for bottles of table wine that
have been opened but not completely consumed.
There are many methods for prolonging the life
of opened table wines but even the best can only
slow the degradation of the wine. These methods
are for still table wines. Sparkling wines and
fortified dessert wines have different
characteristics and requirements.
Gas Systems: Sparging the bottle with a gas
(nitrogen or argon) can be very effective but it
is expensive and I've never known anyone who
actually used a gas system over a long period of
time. They just seem to ultimately be more
trouble than they are worth. If you do elect to
try such a system, stay away from carbon dioxide
since it will mix into solution with the wine.
Vacu-vin: An item came on the market a few years
ago called a Vacu-vin. This consists of rubber
bottle stoppers that hold a weak vacuum created
by a hand pump that comes with the system. While
some people swear by them, there is a consistent
complaint that wines treated with a Vacu-vin
seem 'stripped' of aromas and flavor. They
actually create a lower pressure environment
instead of an actual vacuum. This means they
don't remove all the oxygen and oxidation of the
wine will still occur.
Half bottles, marbles and progressive carafes:
These are all ways of limiting the amount of air
in contact with the wine. The concept is good if
you move quickly and refrigerate the remaining
wine
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