Yours a bottle of wine it is only as good as the conditions in which it is stored. While we usually follow the usual rules like avoiding sunlight and seeking cool, dry locations, you may be committing a little wine crime without realizing it — known as pour decisions.
Fortunately, I spoke with Liz Martinez, general manager and sommelier at Centrolina in Washington, DC, and Beki Miller, head sommelier and beverage manager of Las Vegas’s Caramá by Wolfgang Puck, to remind us what reds, whites and bubbles need to ensure that their quality and integrity are maintained all pop of cocoa.
Here are their top tips and warnings about proper wine storage.
1. On top of the fridge
The heat emitted from the top of your refrigerator can destroy wine in just a few days.
While you may have enough space to line up or stack bottles on top of your refrigerator, it’s far from ideal.
“Refrigerants emit heat and vibrate constantly, both of which accelerate wear and tear,” explains Miller. “You don’t need special equipment to store wine well. You just need the worst option.”
“My solution is simple: wine boxes on the bottom of the inner cabinet, and bottles stored on the sides,” he says. “This keeps the cork from drying out and protects the wine from light and vibration. I also store wine in a box under the bed, which provides a dark, quiet and stable environment without taking up valuable space.”
2. In fact, most of the kitchen is closed
The kitchen is one of the worst rooms to store your wine rack.
Sure, it might make sense to move your fridge bottles above the cabinets, but the kitchen is a room that experiences frequent changes in temperature, light and activity.
“Try not to keep wine in the kitchen,” advises Martinez. “There are many elements and appliances that can turn off the heat outside of the stove. Basically, putting wine next to any appliance. [other than in a wine fridge] it’s not a good idea.”
Miller echoes these sentiments, adding that “kitchen cabinets may seem like a good solution because they are dark, but kitchens experience frequent changes in temperature.”
“Ovens and dishwashers create heat spikes, and those fluctuations are very damaging in the long run,” she said. “Garages are another common misstep. Daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations make them among the most stable environments for wine. These fluctuations are often worse for wine than too hot or too cold. Wine calls for consistency above all else.”
Read more: Click or Skip? Everything You Need to Know About the Shelf Life of Open Wine
4. In the car
A car, with all its gears and temperature fluctuations, is no place to store wine for longer than it takes to get it home.
One of the biggest threats to wine quality is the journey from store to home.
“Care should start when the wine leaves the store,” Miller emphasized. “Wine is especially vulnerable when it’s being transported, especially in warm weather. Leaving bottles in the trunk of a car while you’re out shopping, even for an hour or two, can expose them to temperatures beyond what the wine can tolerate.”
On warm days, for example, a standing car can easily exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit, effectively “cooking” the wine before it is opened.
“Whenever possible, wine should be the last stop on your to-do list, and bottles should be brought inside immediately. In hot weather, an insulated bag can help reduce exposure on the drive home,” he suggests.
5. Somewhere to “get old”
Do your research before trying to age wine. You may be doing more harm than good.
It is a myth that most wines taste better with age. Instead, most wines should be opened and enjoyed immediately.
“Some wines are meant to be drunk young and fresh. Not all wines are meant to be aged,” Martinez said. “It’s important to understand the difference. If you sit on a wine that is intended to be drunk right away, your wine will lose everything that is good about it.”
“Wines like Burgundies or very exciting Bordeaux, or Napa Cabernet, will need some age, compared to the everyday wine you pick up at the store,” he adds. “Understanding that difference and doing a little homework will save you the heartache of losing wine that could have been enjoyed at the right time.”
This is important to remember with any new purchase, as you will have less flexibility with bottles designed for long-term storage.
“The bottle you pick up on Tuesday to open on Friday doesn’t need the same care as a case brought home from the winery or a special bottle you save for a future celebration,” says Miller. “Short-term storage is forgiving; long-term storage requires more intent.”
As a general guide, full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon and fortified wines like port or Madeira tend to handle imperfect conditions better. Soft wines such as Champagne, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling are sensitive to heat and evaporation and will show damage soon.
You don’t need a wine cooler, but it can help
Many safe storage options do not require a dedicated refrigerator.
If collecting bottles has piqued your interest, especially while visiting wine countries around the world, a wine fridge is not a necessity. That said, dedicated wine fridges can be had a few hundred dollars and take the guesswork out of the right wine cellar.
“There are many places around the home to store wine that will help protect it,” said Martinez. “Cool, dark places like a closet or maybe under the stairs [work]. A basement is also a good option, as long as it is not a humid place. “
Refer to these temperatures
A wine cooler can keep your bottles at the perfect temperature for a few hundred dollars.
Although constant temperature and climate may be difficult to control in the average home, most bottles have a “sweet spot” of temperature.
According to Miller, wine should be stored in the dark between 50 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit, with as little vibration and as little movement as possible.
“That doesn’t mean perfection is necessary,” he explains. However, “if a wine tastes flat, dull, or oddly ‘old’, storage or shipping is usually the reason, not the producer or the price tag.”
“Specifically, you can cool it a little bit to get it white and shiny,” added Martinez, recommending sticking to about 45 degrees Fahrenheit for whites and “a cool touch surface for shine.”
When it comes to serving wine, he recommends 40 degrees for sparkling whites and around 60 degrees Fahrenheit for reds.
“Just below room temperature is perfect for red wine,” he says. “It really helps the character of the wine to develop well in the glass when you take it out of the wine fridge and let it warm to the touch.”
