Wine Storage

Wine connoisseurs take painstaking care to pair the right wines with the right accompanying cheeses, meats and desserts. Generally, the best wine has been allowed to age. So what are the proper wine storage conditions that are crucial in facilitating the aging process? SpareFoot makes it easy to search specifically for wine storage facilities through this page. In addition, we've put together the following list of guidelines to help you correctly store your wine:

Ventilation and Air Flow

Finding the right balance between too much air flow and not enough ventilation is important. When there's not enough circulation, your wine storage unit produces mold. But with too much air movement, your cork dries out. Aim for a gentle, cold breeze to chill the wine during storage.

Another tip for maintaining correct air flow is to store your wine horizontally, unless it is champagne or another sparkling wine. Most wine storage facilities provide a storage rack that will allow you to stack bottles sideways. This keeps your cork moist, and prevents air exposure to your wine.

Temperature

Again, keeping a happy medium is crucial. If the temperature drops, your cork will shrink and air will reach your wine. If it's too hot, the wine ends up aging too quickly. In addition, rapid temperature changes are bad for your wine. As a general rule, store your blush, rose and dry white wines at 46-57 F (8-14 C). Sparkling wines and champagne should be chilled to 43-47 F (6-8 C). Light red wine should stay under 55 F (13 C), and deep red wines at 59-66 F (15-19 C).

Humidity

Wine should be stored at a relatively high humidity level, to keep the cork from drying out. 70% is ideal, but experts recommend anywhere from 60-75%.

Light

Store your wine in the dark, because sunlight causes it to produce an odor. If your self-storage space is not dark enough, wrap your bottles in a cloth to protect them from UV rays.

Isolation

Wine should not be stored with perishables or strong-smelling items. Your wine “breathes,” meaning that it will absorb other flavors and smells that leak in. You should also avoid storing your wine near old wood, which may contribute to cork rot.

Time

Now, all that's left to do is wait patiently. Although every bottle of wine is different, the ideal amount of time to store red wine is usually between 2-10 years. For whites, it's 2-3 years.