Where To
So, you have your ageable wine. Now what? You need to find a place to put it! Even if you don’t plan extended aging, good storage will protect the quality of even your everyday wines.
Proper storage or even extended cellaring does not require an expensive build-out in the basement or spending thousands on a high-end storage facility. Follow just a few guidelines to allow your wine the rest it needs.
Make sure the wine is stored in a cool, dark place with an ideal humidity of 70 degrees. In addition, make sure the storage area is quiet and vibration free. Anything from loud music to the rattle of a furnace or mechanical equipment in the basement can really cause trouble by forcing compounds to precipitate out of the wine. The best storage temperatures range from 55 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, with the perfect setting being 55 to 60 degrees. If you don’t have a naturally cool place in your home, such as a basement, a great investment is a wine refrigerator. They come in all different sizes, maintain a steady temperature, and allow bottles to lie on their side to keep the cork moist.
