To enjoy fine wines, you need to carefully monitor their storage. How to store? At what temperature and humidity? All this is of great importance for the taste of the drink.
Where to store wine at home?
If you do not have a vaulted cellar or climate cabinet, wine should be stored in the coolest place in your apartment or house. In addition, it should be dark and damp where possible. It can also be under the staircase in the entryway, or in the worst case, under the bed in the bedroom.
What are the ideal conditions for storing wine?
The temperature should be constant between 8-12 ° C throughout the year. The air humidity should be much higher (60-80%) than in a normal climate, but not too humid. If the air is too humid, the wine labels will not stick. In addition, the area should be well ventilated and the wine should be stored in the dark. Because light is extremely harmful to wine.
Do you need special storage furniture?
It is important not to forget about the maturity of the wine. A dedicated shelf for storing wine is of course very useful, but stacked boxes work well for storage as well. Should you customize your wines? It is best to arrange wines by subject, origin, type on separate shelves. Professional winemakers have aged wines at the bottom and young ones at the top. Or you can put aged wines back and young ones forward. However, this has the disadvantage that it is difficult to see what is happening from behind. A separate shelf is also needed for wines that have reached their peak due to maturity and are about to be drunk.
Are there differences in wine storage for red, white or rosé wines?
When it comes to varieties of white, red or rosé wine, there is no difference in storage.
How long can wine be kept? Is there an approximate time?
Storage or aging potential depends on the type of wine, its variety, the way the vines are cared for and cared for, the aging process and storage conditions. For example, sweetness, acidity and tannins contribute to the longevity of wines. Red wine has a higher aging potential than white wine and rosé wine. For the same reason that oxidation is encouraged in red wines, but strongly deviated in whites and rosés. Noble sweet wines with extreme sweetness and acidity cannot be surpassed in terms of storage potential. On average, still red wines can last from 4 to 5 years, still white wines and rosé wines from 2 to 3 years. Of course, always provided that the storage conditions are optimal.
What can you store with wine? What is not?
Where wine is stored, no fruits, vegetables, or other strong-smelling things such as paints should be left for storage. Strong external odors can be transferred to wine. Even minor things need to be taken into account: an old washing machine that is spinning can mean vibration anxiety for wine.
What happens if the wine is not stored properly?
If stored improperly, the wine will mature too quickly (especially with constantly repeated temperature fluctuations). The wines then have a smell, taste and appearance (red wine turns brown, white wine turns dark yellow). Wines can also get a "taste of light". This often happens with wines that have been on display for too long. This mainly applies to sparkling and white wines.
