How to Store Wine at Home

If you are a wine lover, choosing and buying the right ones that will suit your taste and preferences is the first step of the process. 

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Storing the wines you have purchased is another story. This article lists some useful tips that will help you properly store your wine at home.

Store your wine bottles horizontally

When you are fond of getting wine in bottles with corks, make sure that you store them horizontally to keep the cork moist. 

This will pave the way for long-term storage because a dried-out cork is not only prone to seepage but it can also make the wine age prematurely. 

In this case, consider investing in freestanding wine coolers that will allow you to store your wine bottles horizontally. This can also help you maximize your space accordingly.

Maintain a proper temperature

Apart from storing your wine bottles horizontally, you should also maintain a proper temperature when you store your wines because this can significantly affect their quality.

Regardless of whether you intend to store your wines for the long or short term, the ideal temperature in your storage area should be around 13 degrees Celsius. 

However, this can vary from one wine variant to another, which is why it is best to consult with the manufacturer.

In parallel to this, make sure that you maintain the proper humidity necessary in your wine storage area because this can also impact your wine’s longevity. Lower humidity can dry out your cork while higher humidity can cause the label to peel off the bottle.

Protect your wine from light and vibration

Your wine bottles should always be protected from light and vibration because ultraviolet rays from the sun can damage the flavour and aroma of your wine. 

Storing your wine collection near areas of vibration such as your washer and dryer can disturb the sediments in the bottles, which then disrupts the natural wine ageing process.

For opened bottles of wine, re-cork it properly

Opened bottles of wine last for about three to five days when they are stored properly. 

To further lengthen the lifespan of an opened bottle of wine, make sure that you re-cork it properly and tightly. In this case, you may want to place some wax paper around the cork before you slide it back to its original position. 

In this way, no stray parts of the cork will drop into the bottle. There is also the option for you to use a wine vacuum pump to suck the air out of an open bottle of wine that can lead to an airtight seal.

Image by Dariusz Sankowski from Pixabay 

When it comes to properly store your wine at home, make sure that you horizontally organize them.

Apart from this, you need to ensure that the proper temperature is maintained in your storage area. You should also exert the effort to protect your wine from light and vibration and re-cork opened bottles of wine to extend its shelf-life.

All these are geared towards ensuring that you get to enjoy the full flavour of the wine you love.