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Wine Cellars: 3 Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Collection
Several years ago, my wife and I began collecting wine from our U.S. wine trails adventures. At first, we used our basement to store the wine, graduating to a handsome wine rack a few years later. Only after a few bottles didn't meet our taste expectations did we learn the importance of proper wine storage.
Several years ago, my wife and I began collecting wine from our U.S. wine trails adventures. At first, we used our basement to store the wine, graduating to a handsome wine rack a few years later. Only after a few bottles didn’t meet our taste expectations did we learn the importance of proper wine storage.
There’s nothing worse than finally opening a bottle of wine you’ve personally selected and bought, only to be disappointed with the taste. While it’s possible you’ve simply made a bad choice, it’s more likely the wine has been improperly stored. Wine’s taste can be affected by different factors, and each are extremely important. Let’s take a look at three common mistakes wine lovers make when storing their wines.
Humidity Level Is Important
Although excess humidity makes us uncomfortable, proper humidity levels are critical for wine’s health. If your wine cellar or storage area is too dry, your wine will have an off taste at the very least. Aim for humidity levels of anywhere from 50% to 70%. Most good wine cellars have humidity controls built in to ensure optimal levels. If not, your wine collection will suffer.
Proper Temperature
Heat is an enemy of wine, as is excess cold. Wine is best stored at 55 to 57 degress, and a good wine cellar will let you adjust temperatures in accordance with storage recommendations. Most advanced storage solutions have air circulating fans built in, which helps maintain consistent environmental conditions.
The Less Light The Better
Your wine cellar or wine storage solution should be dimly lit, because excessive light exposure will negatively affect wine. This is especially true for wine in clear bottles, but even a dark colored bottle will be affected. White wines in particular will suffer from too much light exposure, particularly sunlight.
A Few More Tips
Believe it or not, vibration is another enemy of stored wine, so keep your wine storage area as vibration free as possible. A lower traffic area is always better, as vibration will tend to be less. We learned long ago that when bringing home wine from our U.S. wine trail trips, store the wine within the car vs. the trunk. Temperature and vibration conditions are much worse in the trunk.
The keys to proper wine storage are optimal temperature, humidity, and low light conditions. As you become more interested in wine, you’ll find that attention to these details will enhance the wine’s taste and your ultimate enjoyment of your purchase. Cheers!