Wines and SpiritsFrom Wine Amateur to Connoisseur - How to Store Wine
Depending on whether you are a wine drinker or wine collector will determine how much space you will need to store your wine and how. There are several rules that may be applied to storing wine.
Rule #1: Do not store good wine or Champagne in the refrigerator for more than a week. The flavor of the wine will go flat. Vibrations from the cycling of motors whether they are from the refrigerator, dishwasher or washer/dryer will diminish the flavor of wine. Also, the refrigerators temperature of 35 degrees F is too low for wine storage. The best temperature to store wine is between 53 and 59 degrees F. Storing outside of that range will take away from its flavor.
Rule #2: Storing temperature needs to be somewhat constant. Wine does not fair well with wide temperature fluctuations.
Rule #3: Wine needs to be stored in a damp area between 70% and 95% humidity. Under 70% humidity may dry out the cork, leaving the seal less than airtight. Above 95% humidity may result in mold which could result in the damaging of the label.
Rule #4: Wine should be stored in an area free from natural sunlight. Ultraviolet rays will cause the wine to deteriorate.
Rule #5: Wine needs to be stored away from odor producing chemicals. The strong odors from paint, paint remover, gasoline, etc. may penetrate into the wine changing the flavor.
A few wine collectors may be fortunate enough to live in a home that has an underground basement which satisfies the above criteria. However, the majority do not. A well insulated room may be built for storage which includes a climate control unit that humidifies and cools the air. There are also hygrometers available which measures the humidity. Some also give a digital temperature reading. The hygrometer readings should be checked daily to insure correct humidity and temperature.
This type of room would have racking systems as simple or elaborate as the collector would like. Racking systems can be made of wood, plastic, or metal. Some collectors store their wine in the wooden crates they came in. The case provides the dark environment needed to store it and there is little change in temperature due to the number of bottles stored in one small area.
Do not use cardboard boxes to store wine. Chemicals from the cardboard may enter into the bottle. Over time the high humidity in the room will deteriorate the box.
For apartment dwellers, a wine cave, which looks like a credenza, may be needed. They come in a variety of sizes, holding from 24 bottles to 2,800 bottles. One place to find caves is in wine accessory catalogs.