It’s a great day. You’ve just found a few of your favorite bottles of wine, or maybe you’ve just encountered a delicious new dry white wine at a wine tasting and plan on purchasing your very own carafe. But do you know how to properly store your new procurements? Poor storage can tarnish even the finest wines. Fortunately, you don’t need a wine cellar to keep your wine pristinely preserved. Here are 7 easy tips to help you store your wine properly at home:

Store Wine at an Even, Proper Temperature

Think of your wine as a potable Goldilocks – the temperature in which it’s stored needs to be just right. Temperatures higher than 68 degrees can age it faster – if it gets too warm for too long, you risk having a “cooked,” flat, nearly vinegar beverage on your hands. Meanwhile, frigid temperatures below 25 degrees can freeze the wine. What you’re looking for is the perfect chilled temperature – around 55 degrees is typically ideal, but the actual number can vary depending on the wine.

Additionally, store your wine somewhere that has an even temperature. When the mercury falls and rises quickly or frequently, the aging and chemical processes occurring in your wine will be negatively affected. This means that your laundry room, boiler room, the garage, and – yes – even the kitchen are ruled out as storage spots.

Keep Humidity in Mind

You’ll also need to consider the humidity level for your wine. Aim for somewhere between 50 and 80% humidity to promote the wine’s longevity – too dry and the cork will dry out, leaving you with spoiled wine. Too damp and the labels can begin peeling off the bottles (and you could also promote mold growth, which no one wants).

Stash It Somewhere Dark

Perhaps wine’s greatest adversary is light – especially sunlight. And for good reason – direct sunlight can easily damage a wine’s delicate flavors and aromas, causing it to age prematurely. Protect your favorite wine selections from the light, including the artificial sources of light in your home. That means keeping your bottles far away from windows and sunrooms!

Store Wine Bottles Horizontally

Place your bottle of wine upright (It’s okay, we’ll wait.). Now take a close look at it – see how the wine doesn’t touch the cork? You don’t want that – the cork will begin to dry out, which means you’ll have a musty, unpalatable (a.k.a. “corked”) wine on your hands. To maintain proper cork moisture at all times (and a delectable flavor of wine), store the bottle sideways.

Protect It From Vibrations

Vibrations alter the delicate chemical processes taking place within your favorite bottle of vino, affecting its taste and aging process. Avoid storing it near sources of vibrations such as on top of the fridge, near the washer or dryer, by your home gym, or next to your killer sound system. In a perfect world, you’ll want to keep it somewhere that doesn’t see a lot of foot traffic.

Keep It Somewhere Convenient

Wine is a celebrated conversation starter. It makes little sense to keep it tucked in some far-flung closet away from company. Store it somewhere convenient and easily accessible so you may retrieve and open it at a moment’s notice. After all, how anticlimactic would it be to revel in good news by digging through boxes gathering dust in the back of your guest room closet for half an hour?

When in Doubt, Try a Wine Fridge

Your everyday refrigerator can safely store bottles of wine for a few months, but definitely not on a long-term basis. If you count yourself as a wine aficionado, you’ll want to invest in a wine refrigerator (also known as a wine cooler), which maintains the correct temperature and humidity levels that your wine requires. When looking for a wine fridge, consider a quiet, light-resistant unit that allows you to easily see and access the bottles within.

A Final Note:

When it’s time to serve that cherished vino, give it plenty of time for it to come up (or down) to the proper serving temperature. Doing so allows you to enjoy the full expression of the wine’s aroma and flavor. Each wine has its preferred serving temperature as well – read up on them here before you start the celebrations!

Add to Your Collection with Chaumette’s Finest Wines

Looking to expand your horizons? Choose from our impressive, diverse selection of award-winning Missouri wines! Find your new favorite right now, or enjoy our wine year-round by joining the Chaumette Wine Club!