What is the Best Way to Store Your Wine?
Wine is a staple in most pantries, whether you are looking at serving it as a nice drink when the company is over, or just enjoying yourself when you need something to round out your meal. However, what do you do with wine when you’re not drinking it? Here’s everything you should know about storing red wine to prioritize its flavor and its protection.
Wine storage tips
Here are some of the most basic tips to help you conquer wine storage responsibly and easily in your home.
- Plan for the right storage space: The spot where you choose to set up your wine should be dry and dark. Access to light (natural or incandescent) is not a good idea even if you do have tinted wine bottles. Make sure this is a dry and dark spot consistently.
- Aim for 45-65 degrees for ambient temperature: To keep wine at just the right temperature, you should use a thermostat to keep it securely between 45-65 degrees. You can often get more specific temperature recommendations from the individual bottles, too.
- Keep a consistent 70-degree humidity: Humidity is one of the worst killers for wine, so you’ll need to measure that accurately and keep it as close to 70% as possible for the right results each time. While it might mean an additional purchase to monitor it, it is worth it to make sure that it is kept consistent.
- Store wine on its side: Any wine with a cork should be kept on its side. A corked bottle that dries out will result in tainted wine before you even open it! You must keep the cork moist and this is best-done by storing wine on its side.
When you remember these key takeaways, you’ll be able to make sure that each glass of Contra Costa Wine is going to be as delicious as possible. It also means that the investment you’ve made in your wine is going to be easy to protect since incorrectly storing wine means tainting and spoiling. Not something you want to find out when it comes to that beautiful bottle you’ve been saving for a special occasion.
