Let’s admit it: there’s always a right way to keep your wine great. Besides, people best enjoy wines within a few years of release, and having proper storage can make all of it happen. If you’re buying wines to mature until you’re ready to drink them, be sure to store them the proper way.
Continue reading this article to learn some tips on how to keep your wine great for years to come.
1. Chill out
It’s clear that wine is a delicate beverage and temperature fluctuations can be detrimental. Higher temperatures can age your wine more quickly, and if it gets hotter, it may get cooked, which results in flat flavors and aromas. However, by setting the correct temperature, preferably between 53 – 57 degrees Fahrenheit, you can store the wine to mature for ages and keep it in top condition until you’re set to drink it.
Thus, if you want to maintain a consistent temperature when storing a bottle of wine for years, using standalone units like a wine cooler can be of great help.
2. Keep the cork moist
In addition to proper temperature, you should also pay attention to the corks of your wine bottles. Corks, for instance, aren’t only used to prevent wine from spilling but they also act as an obstruction to keep air out and disallow evaporation. To do this, you have to make sure your cork will not get too dry. The more the cork dries out, more air is out to accelerate the aging process of your wine. If you want to keep the cork moist at all times, have the wine stored on its side. Moreover, you can also keep the corks from drying out by maintaining a higher humidity level.
3. Keep the lights off
Keeping your wine great for years to come also means turning the lights off. You should take note that light, especially the sun’s UV rays, can cause degradation and premature aging to the wine. Therefore, avoid light as much as possible by keeping your wine in the dark. That way, you can be sure of a delicious taste once you’re ready to enjoy it during a weeknight dinner.
4. Store the wine in an environment free of strong odors
Having strong odors around your wine can cause a problem, particularly to its flavor. Since air passes through the corks, strong odors can also do that, thereby ruining the great taste of your wine collection. If you don’t want things to go amiss and change the delightful taste of your vino into vinegar, make sure to keep strong odors away. Also, becoming a wine expert can also help you protect your wine from issues like these.
5. Avoid a lot of shaking
Vibrations can damage your wine in long terms. A lot of shaking can speed the wine’s chemical reactions in the liquid. When your collection receives significant vibrations, the sediment can be disturbed and keep them settling, which make them unpleasantly gritty. That’s why it’s best to store the wine away from your electronic appliances such as refrigerators and washers. However, unless your home is situated near a railroad or subway, vibrations will less likely be a problem.
6. Don’t wait too long to open a special bottle
Like other things, wines also have a life cycle. After they reach their maturity, their decline can also take place quicker than you think. In addition to some tips above, it’s always a good idea not to wait for a long time before you will actually open your exclusive bottle of wine. Remember, your storage efforts will all be worth it if you open it while it can be enjoyed and shared. In other words, drinking your wine after it peaks is always better than too late.
7. Store the wine in a professional storage facility
Another way of keeping your wine great for a couple of years is to keep it in an offsite professional storage facility. This is extremely helpful if you don’t want to store your wine at your home. By using a storage facility, you can be sure of the controlled temperature, security monitoring, and flexibility in terms of sizes to accommodate your personal wine collections. However, using an offsite facility can be more costly than keeping your wine at your own home.
Conclusion
If you’re serious about keeping your wine’s taste in top condition for a long-term basis, keep these tips in mind. By doing so, you don’t need to fret about your wine turning into vinegar in the years to come. So, buy good wine now and have it stored properly with the help of these tips.
