Avoid These 3 Rookie Wine Storage Mistakes
A good bottle of wine can be just the thing to round out a great meal or mark a celebration, but the last thing that you want is to open that bottle of wine and find that it just doesn't taste quite right. Often, when that happens, it's the result of a storage mistake. You don't have to be a wine expert in order to keep your wine safe so that the flavor is intact when you open it. You just need to know which mistakes to avoid.
Storing Your Wine Near a Vibrating Surface
Modern homes come with a lot of appliances, and those appliances often vibrate – some more subtly than others. You're probably not going to store your wine bottles on top of a moving washing machine, but you may be underestimating how much the vibration of other machines may be affecting your wine bottles.
If you're looking for a convenient place to stash your wine bottles before dinner, avoid the top of the fridge or the counter space above the dishwasher. While these surfaces may not vibrate enough to visibly move the bottle, they do move enough to disturb the wine inside.
Storing Unopened Wine in the Fridge
Another thing that you want to avoid is storing wine inside of the refrigerator. Yes, it will keep the wine cool, but a refrigerator doesn't have the right humidity for properly storing wine bottles. The dry air inside of the refrigerator dries out the cork, which allows air into the bottle. This can disrupt the flavors, especially when it comes to Champagne and other varieties of sparkling wine.
If you're planning to build a wine collection, your best bet is to invest in a wine cooler that will keep the wine at the appropriate temperature and give you control over the humidity. If the wine has already been opened, it's OK to store it in the fridge, but try to finish it within a couple of days for the best flavor.
Storing Wine Bottles Upright
You may hear people argue over whether or not it's best to store wine bottles on their sides or upright, but experts generally agree that your best bet is to store the bottle on its side.
Storing the bottle on its side means that the cork of the bottle will stay in contact with the wine inside of the bottle. This gives you extra insurance against the possibility of the cork drying out. With the bottle on its side, the cork will stay moist and you won't have to worry about a dried-out cork allowing air into the bottle to oxidize the wine.
Whether you're storing one bottle for a special occasion or working on building a wine collection, these tips will help ensure that your wine remains flavorful when you're ready to enjoy it. For more information about properly storing your wine, contact companies like LA Fine Arts & Wine Storage.
