Our Guide to Storing Wine

For many serious wine collectors, the most difficult part of building a collection is figuring out where and how to let your wines age. While there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution, the majority of wines can be stored together as long as you keep three things in mind: temperature, positioning, and exposure to light. Read on to discover our top three tips for protecting your wine as it ages.

Keep It Cool

When it comes to storing wine it is best to keep it on the cool side, no warmer than 70 degrees. That’s best for both reds, like our 2012 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon or white wines, like our 2014 Carneros Chardonnay. Too much heat or large fluctuations in temperature can cause your wine to “cook”, making it smell like stewed fruit or vinegar.

On the other hand, keeping your bottles too cold can cause the wine to turn to ice and push the cork out of the bottle. If you have to store your wine in a refrigerator we recommend doing so for no longer than a couple of months. The lack of moisture available inside of your refrigerator will eventually cause the cork to dry out.

Tip It On Its Side

It’s not only about where you store your wine, but also how you place it. Storing your wines on their side will allow for proper airflow. When a bottle is stored properly with the wine in contact with the cork, the cork gives only the smallest amount of air through its pores and allows the wine without spoiling. Turning the bottles upright will cause the cork to dry out and shrink from the surrounding air and oxygen seeping in.

Give It Some Shade

Prolonged exposure to light, especially sunlight, can cause irreversible damage to your wine. The sun’s UV rays can degrade wine and cause it to age prematurely. This is why many wines come in colored glass bottles – the tinted glass acts like a pair of sunglasses for the wine that is inside. While storing your wine in the kitchen seems like the most practical place, that room often gets more sunlight than any other room in the house. It’s best to keep your wine in a room with little to no natural light.

While the most invested wine collectors often purchase a wine cooler to store their assets, you can create the perfect storage space right without one. These three tips will help you keep your favorite wines safe until you are ready to enjoy them