Today we're going to talk about five wine storage mistakes you should avoid. Not every wine is meant to be aged, and the majority of wines are made for immediate consumption with their bright and lively fruit, but there are some wines that are. Wine-making regions, appellations, and even specific grape varieties have demonstrated excellent aging potential, which means they can not only be stored for several years but also develop tertiary aromas that contribute to complexity on the nose and palate. Wines that are meant for aging will usually cost premium money so it is very important to know what mistakes to avoid when storing your wine. You do not want to open a bottle of wine that you have stored for 5 or 10 years just to find out that it is spoiled or undrinkable. So no matter what the reason you hold your wine collection and even if it's just a single bottle these are five mistakes you should avoid.
1. Do Not Store Your Wines Vertically
This makes sense for all still wines under natural cork, especially if you don't have a designated place to store your wines. When storing wine horizontally, the cork remains moist and elastic, sealing the wine and limiting the amount of oxygen that enters the bottle. The cork may dry out and lose its properties if the bottle is stored vertically for an extended period of time. This will result in increased oxygen permeability and faster wine maturation.
2. Do Not Store Any Sparkling Wines Horizontally
This one appears to be difficult. The space between the wine and the cork, known as the outage, is filled with co2 molecules, which keep the cork moist, so there's no reason to store the champagne bottle horizontally. Because it actually raises the risk of wine spoilage due to cork taint or trichloroanisole.
3. Do Not Store Wines Under The Bright Conditions
Avoid storing your wines near a window and turn off the light in your wine fridge and storage units, which are frequently equipped with bright lighting, just to highlight your best bottles. Wine that is constantly exposed to light can quickly develop aromas caused by oxidation and volatile sulfur compounds. While we're at it, don't take the colored foil off your sparkling wine bottles, it's there to protect them.
4. Do Not Store Your Wines At Room Temperature
While opinions differ on what temperature we should age our wines at, it is clear that temperatures above 59℉(15℃) may hasten wine aging. If you do not have a specific cooling cabinet or wine fridge, the temperature may even imprint cooked flavors into the wine and cause increased oxidation. Because warm air rises, it makes sense to store your wine closer to the ground rather than higher up on the shelves. If you do not have floor heating, use this method.
5. Do Not Shake Your Wine
It's important to understand that sediment will build up in older wines that have been sitting for a long time due to the natural aging process if you pick up your wine and show it to your friends, shake it around or how, or have it on top of your washing machine. I'm not sure if it'll mix up the sediment and make for an unpleasant drinking experience. It's going to take a lot of decanting time to get that sediment out of the wine. Save yourself the trouble and simply keep your wine in place.
Explore high-end wine fridges at Ca’Lefort to avoid these mistakes and find the proper storage solution for you. Purchasing a wine cooler is the first step toward enjoying wine at home on a higher level. Fine wine is something that should be stored and protected.
