Information on the storing your wine.

Wine is one of very few natural products that are deliberately aged, though very few modern wines will continue to improve after their commercial release. Until the middle of the 20th century, the maturation of wine was undertaken by the wine trade, either at the winery or in the hands of merchants, but significant changes have taken place since that time. Now, the vast majority of wines are released to the consumer as soon as possible. Luckily, most of these are ready-to-drink on release. However, a small percentage of the finest wines can benefit from, or even require, further maturation.

Wine is a fragile product, easily damaged when exposed to heat, light and air. Wines damaged by improper storage may simply not taste their best or may be spoiled so thoroughly that they are unpleasant to drink. Wine drinkers who wish to store wine for more than a few weeks at a time have two options; renting space in an off-site wine storage facility or creating a safe environment for wine storage in their home. This may entail purchasing a temperature controlled wine storage unit or building a home wine cellar.

Ideal storage conditions are those that mimic the environment of the traditional underground cellar:

1. Low Temperature – approximately 55ºF

Heat is extremely detrimental to wine. Even short periods of time spent above 77ºF can permanently scar a fine wine. At low levels, heat damage can leave a wine’s fruit component hollow or flat, most noticeably in the wine’s finish, or aftertaste. More extreme heat damage can result in a wine tasting cooked or baked. Extreme cold is also damaging, but more to the integrity of the bottles than to the wine itself. Upon freezing, the liquid expands and can push out corks or even crack the glass. Swift swings from one extreme of temperature to another are also best avoided. Wine is a product that changes slowly as it ages. This process moves fastest at high temperatures, and slowest at low temperatures. Most experts agree that a constant temperature somewhere between 50ºF and 59ºF is ideal for long term wine storage.
2. Low Light – as little as possible

Light of all kinds is detrimental to wine, especially those highest in UV rays, like direct sunlight. Wines are often bottled in dark shades of glass, in order to boost their resistance to damaging light radiation. Light damaged wines seem pre-maturely aged past their prime, similar to oxidized and heat damaged wines. The most obvious effects are a browning in color and a caramelized or burnt flavor or aroma. Sparkling wines and white wines bottled in clear glass have been demonstrated to be most susceptible to light damage.
3. Modest Humidity – approximately 75% humidity

Wines sealed with natural cork closures are best kept in an environment with modest humidity in order to keep the corks tightly sealed. Like little wooden sponges, corks will shrivel and shrink slightly if allowed to dry out completely. Any cork shrinkage is likely to allow air, and thus wine’s enemy oxygen, into the bottle, which encourages spoilage and pre-mature aging. Excess humidity is unlikely to damage wine, but can encourage molds that can disfigure labels. In addition to maintaining proper cellar humidity, collectors of wine will often store wine bottles horizontally in order to keep the corks moist and tightly sealed. Since most refrigerators are extremely dry, as well as subject to constant vibration (see below), they are not ideal for storing wine for more than temporary purposes.
4. Complete Stillness – as little vibration as possible

Vibration is the most poorly understood of the factors that can damage wine in storage. Known to cause problems for sparkling wines, whose closures must hold up to high internal pressure, vibration is also thought to disturb the interaction of mature red wines with their natural sediment. While the exact nature of problems caused by vibration in wine are not fully understood, it is nonetheless clear that such small movements do not improve wine. As a result, unnecessary vibrations are avoided in wine storage, and some collectors go to great lengths to minimize transmitting them, like installing rubberized racks.
5. Aroma-free Environment – as neutral as possible

Corks are porous, and over time, strong odors present in wine storage areas can manifest themselves in the wine. This problem is most frequently encountered with cellars damaged by smoke or fire or where an aromatic wood has been used for racking or paneling. Some varieties of cedar are very aromatic, and should be avoided as they can taint wine over time.

For information about storing wine at home, see Wine Cellars. For information on shelving for wine bottles, see Wine Racking.

Contributed by: Marnie Old
Marnie Old is the Philadelphia area’s leading wine educator and highest profile sommelier. At 34, she is one of the youngest women to be sought after, both nationally and internationally, as a speaker on wine and beer. She is a member of the wine faculty at the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan and the regional wine educator for Wine & Spirits Magazine. Marnie writes beverage columns for Philadelphia Magazine and Pennsylvania’s Wine & Spirits Quarterly and is a contributing editor for Santé Magazine. She is the only wine professional in the region enrolled in the Master Sommelier program.