Wine Storage: Don\'t Make These 3 Mistakes

Several years ago, my wife and I began collecting wine from our U.S. wine trails adventures. At first, we used our basement to store the wine, graduating to a handsome wine rack a few years later. Only after a few bottles didn\'t meet our taste expectations did we learn the importance of proper wine storage.

A few years ago, we brought home a few bottles of wine we\'d thoroughly enjoyed at a New Mexico winery. We stored the wine and a few months later decided to serve it at a dinner party with some friends. To our disappointment, the wine tasted nothing like we\'d remembered. After a few apologies and some investigation the next day, we discovered we\'d stored the wine improperly.

Humidity Level Is Important

The wine we\'d bought was stored in a very dry area of our house, which accounted for its uneven taste. We have subsequently learned to store wine at 50% to 70% humidity levels. Luckily, our new wine cellar has built in humidity controls, thereby keeping our wines stored at ideal humidty levels.

Hot And Cold

Heat is an enemy of wine, as is excess cold. Wine is best stored at 55 to 57 degress, and a good wine cellar will let you adjust temperatures in accordance with storage recommendations. Most advanced storage solutions have air circulating fans built in, which helps maintain consistent environmental conditions.

Light

Your wine cellar or wine storage solution should be dimly lit, because excessive light exposure will negatively affect wine. This is especially true for wine in clear bottles, but even a dark colored bottle will be affected. White wines in particular will suffer from too much light exposure, particularly sunlight.

A Few More Tips

Believe it or not, vibration is another enemy of stored wine, so keep your wine storage area as vibration free as possible. A lower traffic area is always better, as vibration will tend to be less. We learned long ago that when bringing home wine from our U.S. wine trail trips, store the wine within the car vs. the trunk. Temperature and vibration conditions are much worse in the trunk.

Wine collecting is a rewarding hobby, and a little attention to detail will help you enjoy your wine to its fullest potential. Keep temperature and humidity conditions at optimal levels, and store your wine in a dark, quiet place. Doing so will allow you the best of payoffs - great wine that tastes great. Cheers!

Article Source: http://www.thedrinkingplace.com/articles2

Jim Hofman is an author specializing in wine travel and the enjoyment of wine. For more practical tips on wine storage solutions, you\'re invited to visit Jim\'s recommended resource website devoted to wine accessories and wine cellars.

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