STORING YOUR WINE

Given the delicate, time-consuming process that each bottle of wine goes through in its development, it makes sense to properly store your wine. You may wish to age it for years, store it for weeks or months, or simply preserve an unfinished bottle for a few days. In each case, some simple guidelines will ensure your lasting enjoyment, help maintain your wine’s integrity, and perhaps even add to its complexity.

Before Opening

Regardless of how long you plan to store unopened wine—a few weeks or a few decades—or what kind of wine it is, air is wine’s number one enemy. Air causes wine to turn to vinegar, which is why wine’s exposure is limited by both the shape of the bottle and storing it at an angle that keeps the cork from drying out and letting air seep in. The exception to angled storage comes with fortified wines (other than port), which may be stored standing.

Most wines available for purchase today are ready to drink and do not necessarily benefit from long term aging. While you can still store them for long periods of time—from six months to a few decades—the strict requirements for aging wine may not be applicable. If you do collect wine designed to be aged or just want to be on the safe side, think cool, constant, dark, calm, moist and well-ventilated.

Cool: Wine is best stored between 50 and 55º F, but any temperature between 40 and 65º F is probably acceptable. Storing wine at less than 40º F (refrigerators are often set at 35º F) often halts the maturation process completely and may lead to deposits and other suspensions in the wine. In contrast, storing wine above 65º F (room temperature in many homes is 68º F) can cause the wine to age twice as fast, leading to an underdeveloped wine that lacks complexity. Whites seem especially vulnerable to temperature extremes, but it is not necessary to store white or sparkling wines in the refrigerator until you plan to serve them. Simply allow enough time for chilling.

Constant: More important than the storage temperature is the lack of temperature fluctuation. While most wines can endure a 10º F shift between winter and summer months, few can tolerate such a wide fluctuation on a daily or even weekly basis. Like any liquid, wine contracts and expands as a response to changes in temperature, causing it to push and pull on the cork. This movement in and out weakens the seal, eventually letting wine out and air in.

Dark: Like heat, light prematurely ages wine, especially sparkling wines. Direct sunlight must be avoided and incandescent or sodium vapor lights are preferable to fluorescent. Whether wine is kept in a closet, corner or box, protection from light will help to prolong the life of the wine and slow its degradation.

Calm: Wine does best not only when left alone, unmoved, but also when far away from sources of vibration, which include appliances, machinery, vehicles, vacuum cleaners, heavy walking, and excessive noise. Such movements can disturb the wine’s natural sediments, especially in red wines.

Up to this point, storing your wine for long periods of time could easily be accomplished in an unused corner of the basement, a closet in a spare room, or a similar space in your home. Indeed, ready to drink wines not specifically designed for aging do not require much more. However, for storing higher priced wines that are meant to be aged over years and years, and may even require it, moisture and ventilation become important factors.

Moist: Long term storage requires greater attention to the cork. If it is allowed to dry out, it will lose its elasticity and begin letting air in and wine out. Humidity between the range of 50 and 80% (70% most commonly recommended) is essential for the cork’s long term integrity and may require converting a corner of your home into a specially designed wine cellar or buying a free-standing unit.

Well-ventilated: While long term storage necessitates high humidity, ventilation is essential to prevent mold and label separation. Ventilation is also important for keeping unwanted aromas from penetrating the cork and contaminating the wine over time. In fact, it is never a good idea to store items capable of fermenting, such as fruit, vegetables and cheese, near wine—let alone debris or other items that may attract pests.

After Opening

Note that no one recommends storing an already opened bottle of wine of any kind on the kitchen counter or thereabouts longer than 8 hours. Regardless of type, an unfinished bottle of wine needs to be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within 3 to 5 days.

Some experts say that for wine to remain drinkable after having been opened and exposed to air, it must be capable of aging. In other words, some ready to drink wines on the market today cannot survive 3 to 5 days storage in the refrigerator. They simply turn into “over-aged” wine that’s virtually undrinkable. It may be best to consume them in one sitting or use the remainder for cooking.

The aging question may also mean that most reds will fare 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator better than most whites, since reds are better designed for aging than whites. Be sure to allow a red stored in the refrigerator to resume room temperature, or at least 50 to 55º F, which is actually its ideal and most French-like condition.

Some experts say that a re-corked bottle of red, white or even sparkling wine can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days without comprising flavor. Others have found that whites, in particular, fair well with the cork simply replaced into the original bottle or the remainder poured into a half bottle and corked. The half bottle works to limit the amount of wine in contact with the air.

Reds, however, may require more effort. To give reds greater protection from air, some have had success with the Vacu-Vin while others have used gas systems. The Vacu-Vin consists of a rubber bottle stopper and hand pump, which is pumped 5 to 15 times to create a lower pressure environment, but not necessarily a vacuum, that can significantly slow oxidation of the wine. A gas system works in the opposite way by adding a layer of heavy gas, such as nitrogen or argon. The gas system may be more effective than the Vacu-Vin, but it is also more expensive and possibly more trouble than it’s worth.

Indeed, wine that has been opened and stored is never as good as a fresh bottle. While various methods may prolong the life of your wine, they only slow the inevitable. Life is too short to drink old wine. Use the leftovers for cooking and open a new bottle!