It's always a pleasure to receive a good bottle of wine as a gift or to make a happy discovery at your favorite wine merchant, but then comes the eternal question of wine storage.
While the ideal wine cellar does exist, buried underground, between stone and beaten earth, with naturally optimal temperature and humidity, it's unfortunately rare to have one close at hand. However, there's no need to rush to taste your new wine acquisitions. If you want to carefully keep your bottles of wine to open at the opportune moment, here are 6 tips for proper wine storage, 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 wine storage. 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 wine in a place that is neither too hot nor too cold, protected from sudden temperature variations, and that does not exceed 18°C. Gradual temperature changes that occur naturally throughout the year do not pose a particular threat to wine preservation, if it is sufficiently sheltered.
What light level is needed?
Ideally, to preserve it for as long as possible, wine must be completely protected from light. Light is indeed formidable for Bacchus' liquor, especially for white wines, which are more vulnerable to light exposure. It can cause an alteration of the wine's aromas, commonly referred to in jargon as "light-struck."
A wine cabinet or a cupboard away from strong light sources will be the best places to store wine at home. If you don't have this possibility, take inspiration from producers who wrap their bottles in tissue paper to keep them in the dark.
What humidity level for storing wine?
Temperature and light are not the only factors that influence wine's evolution. Sometimes wrongly forgotten in wine storage, humidity plays a crucial role in its proper aging. In too dry an environment, wine tends to evaporate and oxidize more quickly, especially when dryness is combined with excessive temperature.
Good news, however, humans also need an environment with sufficient humidity for their health. Ideally, our homes and apartments should display a hygrometry between 45 and 60%, while wine requires a humidity level between 50 and 80%. Storing wine at home is therefore not a Chinese puzzle.
Wine storage duration
How long can wine be stored? What is the ideal time to taste 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 meeting ideal conditions, the wine will evolve very slowly. This storage method, ideal for serious collectors, is however less suitable for the more impatient who eagerly await the golden age of their bottles to discover their secrets… Moreover, some great wines can remain unaltered for decades, while others lose their splendor after only a few years.
There is, however, no "expiration date" for wine consumption. Rather, 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 horizontally, which is why wine cabinets are equipped with shelves designed for this purpose. At the origin of this storage requirement is wine's nemesis: the dreaded oxidation. When the bottle is stored vertically, the wine is not in contact with the cork. Over time, the cork dries out, shrinks, crumbles, and allows air to enter the bottle, which will lead to premature aging of the wine. Keeping bottles horizontal prevents this phenomenon, as the wine is in permanent contact with the cork and allows it to maintain its humidity.
Whether you are an inveterate wine lover or an oenophile in your spare time, whether you own a cellar or a simple cupboard, do not deprive yourself of beautiful acquisitions: you now have all the necessary information to cherish them at home. Enter the prestigious cellar of Fauchon house now and discover our selection of high-end wines, grand crus to taste without delay or to jealously preserve.
