How to Store Wine: 5 Do’s & Don’ts

Whether you’ve got 5 wine bottles or 500, you probably don’t want your wine to go bad or the taste to be compromised before you get a chance to drink it. Unfortunately, not all wine lovers have the luxury of a personal cellar, so it’s important to know how to keep your wine fresh until you’re ready to uncork and enjoy.

The easiest way to make sure you’re not doing a disservice to your stash is to follow these 5 do’s and don’ts of how to store your wine:

1. DO: Keep your wine chilled.

Average room temperature is too warm for storing or serving your wine. The warmer the ambient temperature, the quicker the wine will age and go bad. If you’ve ever left a bottle of wine in your car during the summer and then wondered why it tasted like pure alcohol or maybe even a little vinegar-like, you know what heat can do to a bottle.

That is an extreme case, of course, but room temperature wines are not given the chance to fully express themselves and taste duller than they would if they had been chilled. A wine cooler can keep your wine at the right temperature without the constantly changing temperatures refrigerators have.

DON’T: Keep your wine in your kitchen fridge long term.

Many people think the way to remedy the temperature conundrum is to keep their wine in the refrigerator, but this can be equally harmful. The typical refrigerator is not only too cold for your wine, stunting its development, but it also dries out the wine’s cork. Have you ever left an uncovered tomato in your fridge and noticed how the tomato shrivels up in the span of just a day or so? This is because, unlike a wine refrigerator, your kitchen refrigerator removes humidity as it cools.

Corks must remain moist in order to do their job properly. A dried-out cork leads to a musty smelling, “corked” wine.

2. DO: Store your wine somewhere convenient.

Although it may be good for the wine, it’s not practical or convenient to store your wine in that upstairs closet, away from harmful elements. Whether open or closed, wine is meant to be a conversation starter and a way to bring people together. It’s important to keep it somewhere convenient and easily accessible, ever at the ready to be retrieved and opened.

DON’T: Store your wine on top of your refrigerator.

Although convenience is important, you also have to think about keeping the wine’s integrity intact. On top of your refrigerator may seem like the most logical place to keep your bottles (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen just that), but it is one of the worst places in your home for three reasons.

First of all, think of all the vibrations your fridge gives off when the compressor cycles on, when it cycles off, when the ice maker spits out ice, when you’re using the water dispenser, etc. Without getting too deep into chemistry, vibrations alter the processes happening in your wine, affecting the taste and aging process.

Second, your refrigerator gives off heat. With a compressor and other internal components working hard to keep the interior cool, a significant amount of heat is given off. Have you ever felt the top of your refrigerator? It’s warm.

Finally, the top of your refrigerator is probably very close to your light fixtures. This may not be the case for everyone, but if so, this is definitely not a good place for your wine to be. Light bulbs give off lots of heat that can prematurely age your wine.

3. DO: Store your wine on its side.

Two words: cork moisture. Keeping your bottles on their sides, with the wine constantly in contact with the cork, prevents the risk of having a “corked” wine.

DON’T: Store your wine upright for long term.

When your bottle is upright, the wine is not hitting the cork. The cork will then begin to dry out, resulting in a musty, malodorous wine.

With that said, it is okay to store your wine upright for a short amount of time, which is why some convenience or liquor stores can get away with it; they are banking on a timely sale of the bottles. But try to avoid keeping bottles upright for more than a few weeks.

4. DO: Keep your wine at a constant temperature.

Like vibrations, fluctuating temperatures can negatively impact the aging and chemical processes happening in your wine. This is why cellars and wine refrigerators are fastidiously temperature controlled. A mild, constant temperature is best.

DON’T: Keep your wine at room temperature long term.

As we stated earlier, room temperature is typically too warm for serving wine and also too warm for the long-term storage of wine. Warm wine is dull and flat and, in extreme cases, overly alcoholic or vinegar-tasting.

5. DO: Keep your wine somewhere you can easily view and select a bottle.

It’s important to know what’s in your collection and where to find it. Although documenting your collection is helpful, it’s hard to beat a clear visual display of all your bottles.

DON’T: Keep your wine in an area of harsh interior lighting or direct sunlight.

One way to ease the selection and viewing of your collection is with lighting. The type of lighting used is very important. Lighting in the typical household gives off heat, which as we now know, is not good. Sunlight and UV rays are even worse for your wine. Keep your wine away from windows or other sources of natural light. Your best bet for a light source is LED. LED lighting creates a soft glow without giving off any heat.

Follow these tips and we guarantee your wine will thank you.