What a pleasure to receive a good bottle of wine as a gift or to make a lucky find at your favorite wine merchant, but then the eternal question arises of how to store wine.
While the ideal wine cellar does indeed exist, buried underground, between stone and beaten earth, with a naturally optimal temperature and humidity level, it is unfortunately rare to have one within reach. However, there is no need to rush to taste your new wine acquisitions. If you want to keep your bottles of wine safe to open them at the right time, here are 6 tips for storing wine properly, with or without a cellar.
What is the ideal temperature for storing wine?
Temperature is one of the main criteria to consider when it comes to storing wine. A temperature that is too high or subject to too wide variations would have a detrimental effect on the wine. In a cellar, the temperature remains moderate and almost constant throughout the seasons, but this is not the case in our kitchens and living rooms.
It is therefore recommended to store the wine in a place that is neither too hot nor too cold, protected from sudden temperature changes, which does not exceed 18°C. The gradual temperature changes that occur naturally during the year do not represent a particular threat to the conservation of the wine, if it is sufficiently sheltered from them.
How much brightness is needed?
Ideally, to keep it for as long as possible, the wine must be completely protected from light. The latter is indeed formidable for the Bacchus liqueur, in particular for white wines, more vulnerable to light exposure. It can cause an alteration of the aromas of the wine, commonly referred to in the jargon as “light taste”.
A wine cabinet or cupboard away from strong sources of light will be the best places to store wine at home. If you don't have this option, take inspiration from producers who wrap their bottles in tissue paper to keep them in the dark.
What humidity level should wine be stored in?
Temperature and light are not the only factors that influence the evolution of wine. Sometimes wrongly forgotten in the conservation of wine, humidity plays a major role in its good aging. In an environment that is too dry, the wine tends to evaporate and oxidize more quickly, especially when dryness is combined with excessive temperature.
Good news, however, is that humans also need an environment with sufficient humidity for their health. Ideally, our homes and apartments should have a humidity level between 45 and 60%, while wine requires a humidity level between 50 and 80%. Storing wine at home is therefore not a Chinese puzzle.
Shelf life of wine
How long can you keep wine? When is the best time to enjoy a bottle? There is no fixed answer to these questions, but it can be said that the shelf life of wine varies depending on its storage conditions.
If you are lucky enough to store your wine in a cellar with ideal conditions, the wine will evolve very slowly. This method of conservation, ideal for great collectors, is however less suitable for the most impatient who eagerly await the golden age of their bottles to discover their secrets… Furthermore, some great wines can remain unaltered for decades, while others lose their splendor after only a few years.
There is no “expiration date” for wine consumption. There are wines that improve with age and others that peak in their youth; oenophiles who are fond of deep aromas developed over time and others who prefer the candid fruitiness of new bottles.
In what position should wine bottles be stored?
It is essential to store wine in a horizontal position, which is why wine cabinets are equipped with shelves designed for this purpose. At the origin of this conservation requirement, the nemesis of wine: the dreaded oxidation. When the bottle is stored in an upright position, the wine is not in contact with the cork. Over time, the cork dries out, shrinks, crumbles and lets air into the bottle, which will cause the wine to age prematurely. Keeping the bottles horizontal helps prevent this phenomenon, because the wine is in permanent contact with the cork and allows it to maintain its humidity.
Whether you are an inveterate wine lover or a wine lover in your spare time, whether you have a cellar or a simple cupboard, do not deprive yourself of beautiful acquisitions: you now have all the information necessary to pamper them from home. Enter now the prestigious cellar of the Fauchon house and discover our selection of high-end wines , great vintages to taste without delay or to jealously preserve.
