How to store wine:
This has to be one of life's greatest pleasures...opening that special bottle that you purchased years ago, knowing that it has been in cellared in the perfect environment. I have experienced both sides of this coin, a well cellared wine opened on my 21st birthday that i can still remember today, and a bottle of Moss Wood 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon that had not been cellared well - memorable for the wrong reasons. So why is it so important to to consider the environment in which you store your wines?
First, let’s look at the basics. Most wines have a “best before” date that can be measured in terms of years (or months), but this can be lessened considerably when stored in conditions causing undue stress. Unlike a bottle of whiskey, there is insufficient alcohol in wine to prevent it from going bad over time. Even quality wines, which theoretically should improve with age, may degrade or over develop in less time than predicted even in as short as a year if not stored properly.
No matter what the quality of wine there are some basic rules one can follow to store wine. They are:
- Store away from direct sunlight.
- Store where the temperatures are between of 4ºC and 18ºC (40ºF and 65ºF)
- Store where the temperature does not fluctuate more than 2-3ºC (5ºF) once annually, and
- Store where the humidity levels are greater than 50%.
- Store where your wife/husband/family member cannot access, or you may come home and find that your bottle of 1971 Penfolds Grange has gone into the Spaghetti Bolognese!
Storing your wine outside of these limits whether on a rack in the dining room (or in the fridge!) will cause it to pass its prime or spoil in shorter period of time than suggested by the winemaker. While the first two conditions are relatively easy to produce, most people will find it very difficult to supply the last two without some type of cellar or climate controlled wine cabinet.
The Wine Empire houses all Super premium, rare, collectable and backvintage stock with Winevault Wine Storage, located in Artarmon, Sydney. Winevault is a professional wine storage facility, servicing small private collectors through to retailers, importers and wine producers. For more information on Winevault and their amazing 100 year old + underground wine tunnel (see picture below), please visit www.winevault.com.au
Most importantly, please avoid storing your wine in the kitchen - we have a 6 bottle wine rack built in to a cupboard above the stove!!! what were they thinking? Useless for wine, but great for hiding chocolate away from the wife.
The 100 year old + underground wine tunnel at Winevaults wine storage facility in Sydney.
For more information on Winevault, check out this short Youtube video filmed recently at Winevaults Sydney facility. Yours truly was asked to be involved, as The Wine Empire stores all back vintage and museum wines at Winevault, together with a range of other wines.
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Wine & Spirit Education 
