Home Wine Storage: Five of the Best Tips for Storing Wines

Proper home wine storage conditions are essential when storing bottles of wine for any length of time. Almost everyone loves wine and wishes they could store the wine better to prevent damage from odors and temperature changes. With these tips, home wine storage that provides the best conditions for the wine is now possible for just about everyone.

1. Store wine bottles horizontally. By storing the wine horizontally, the wine keeps in constant contact with the cork, keeping it expanded well enough to block out any possible air coming into the bottle. By blocking this air leakage, the wine does not risk turning to vinegar. This is the number one home wine storage tip and if nothing else is followed, this tip should be for the best taste possible.

2. Use temperature control. The best temperatures to keep both white and red wine at is the low to mid 50’s Fahrenheit. This temperature should also remain fairly constant to keep the best grade of the wine. Not everyone can have their own custom wine cellar but this can be achieved with the purchase of a wine storage cooler. This great way to store your favorite wines to keep them cool and safe. If you do have a cool place in the home a good solution would be just to add a wine rack to that space.

3. Keep it humid. Wine experts agree that 70% humidity is very important for the quality of the wine. This humidity is important for keeping the entire cork in good condition and preventing air spoilage or the cork from splintering during the removal process. Redwood is often suggested as the best wood for the racks in the home wine storage compartment because it resists the mold and mildew caused by such extreme humidity.

4. Keep it dark. White light has ultra violet light in it which can penetrate the darkened wine bottles, causing the wine to degrade. It is best if the home wine storage compartments were not placed by a window or lit by white light, but rather incandescent lighting to avoid this problem.

5. Keep it clean. Any strong odors, be it from mold and mildew, varnished wood, and strong cleaning solvents can enter the wine through the cork and cause a tainting of the wine. By keeping the area clean of the mold and mildews that can build up in the humid environment, and by allowing any varnished wood to completely dry before using, this problem can be completely avoided.

Find out more about home wine storage and other wine storage tips here.