With as much as we talk wine and happy hour over here, I thought I'd share a few tips, from your resident "wine-o" (in the HAPPIEST sense of the word) about storing wine. For a number of years, I would buy a bottle or two of wine and have it sitting on my counter till a friend came over and we would open it up and drink. Now that I'm starting to understand wines a bit more, I thought I'd share with you my 5 tips for storing wine, so that you are getting the most out of the wine you're buying and not unintentionally ruining any HAPPY bottles.
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While the actual wine you are buying is totally based on personal preference, the way you should store them, does not vary too much from variety and label.
When thinking about wine, I think its important to remember that making wine is truly a science. From where and how the grapes are grown to the amount of time fermenting. Wine makers are create their own scientific process to bring you their best bottle of wine. When they store their wine, they store it in wine caves and cellars. There is a reason for that and these basic tips should give you a good idea as to why.
- Always Store Wine on its Side - There really is a reason why you want to store your wine on its side and not upright. The air is removed from a bottle during the bottling process. Air can cause oxidation to the wine. In order to keep the air out, its important to keep the cork in contact with the wine. That will keep the cork expanded and the air out. When a bottle is stored upright, the cork can dry out and then you are spoiling that HAPPY bottle way sooner than it should be. No waste here!
- Keep the bottle movement to a minimum - The less movement the better. Once the bottle is moved, the aging process is sped up. Changing the intended taste and possibly ruining it.
- Humidity - Just as you want to make sure your wine doesn't dry out from the inside of the bottle by storing it side, the moisture level of the cork on the outside is just as important. Too much moisture can cause mold and not enough moisture will dry it out. Ideal humidity levels are between 55 – 75%.
- Light - You want to keep your wine bottles away from any direct light. If you've ever noticed that wine for the most part is stored in dark colored glass bottles? This is to help in reducing the light rays from entering the wine and messing with the chemical composition. So if possible, store away from the window.
- Temperature - Lastly, is the temperature of the wine. They are finicky little liquid tastiness and to ensure there are no chemical reactions within the wine bottle, its important you keep the temperature of the bottle consistent. Generally, you'll want to keep your reds around 55 degrees and your white around 45 degrees.
By storing your wine this way, you will ensure that the bottles of wine you are buying and enjoying have the best chance at putting its best foot forward and not spoiling before you get to drink it. What I have found is that the best way to store your wine at home, short of having your own wine cellar or cave, is to purchase a wine cooler like the New Air wine cooler, I have.This bad boy has dual temperature controls, humidity controlled, UV double pained glass door, with little to no vibration(movement). Plus its super slim and fits right under the counter. We absolutely love our cooler and really want you to have one too. Well guess what? We're giving away a New Air wine cooler to one lucky reader! Simply click the link below and enter for a chance to win one for your house!!! Whoop Whoop!
