How to Use Wine Cellars to Properly Store Wine

Wines must be stored correctly in order to maintain the delicate balance that gives them superior taste and quality. As a general rule of thumb, red wines are sturdier than white and sweet wines. This is why red wines can be stored for years, while white wines can only last around a year or so, depending on the
wine. Giving your wine a good home until its ready to drink ensures that its flavor and quality is maintained throughout its life. There’s nothing better than a twenty-year-old red that’s been properly stored and maintained!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wine
• Wine cellar or wine refrigerator

1. 

   Wine should be stored at a temperature between 40 – 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Low temperatures allow the cork inside the wine bottles to remain moist, which keeps excess oxygen out of the wine bottle. When oxygen gets into a dried-out cork, a wine can spoil very quickly. This is also why you should always store wine bottles on their sides, so the wine inside meets the cork. You should also store the wine in a cellar or a wine refrigerator if possible.

2. 

   High levels of humidity are important when storing wine. The humidity should be kept around 75% or higher for proper storage. The lowest humidity level acceptable is 55%. In fact, some European wine cellars have mold growing on the wine bottles because the humidity is kept so high! This is actually a point of pride in some wineries.

3. 

   The final step to remember in proper wine storage is light. Some wine bottles are specifically colored to prevent certain waves of light from degrading the wine over time. The best solution to defeating light is to keep your wine in the cellar until it is ready to drink. This is especially true of white wines, which is most susceptible to light degradation.

Resources

• Wine Coolers

[americanguru]

on 11/11/2008 Good info to know.