When you buy Italian wine, whether it be Red wine, White Wine, or Sparkling wine, it is important to store your purchase correctly.
When you buy wine online, as soon as you receive it, you should store it in the optimum conditions. When wine is stored correctly it can remain good for decades.
Store Wine at the Proper Temperature
Temperature is the most important factor that affects the quality of the stored wine. By storing it in either too warm or too cold conditions you will spoil the wine.
No wine should ever be stored at below -4C as this could cause the wine to freeze. Nor should it be stored above 20C as this will speed up the aging and destroy elements of the wine. The ideal temperature for storing wines is 13 C, It is also essential that you keep the bottles at a fairly constant temperature and avoid fluctuations.
Store Wine Bottles Horizontally
You should always store wine with corks in the laying down position. This makes sure that the cork is kept moist. It is essential for storing wine for long periods.
If a cork becomes dry it can cause seepage. It can also allow exposure to air which can cause the wine to age prematurely.
If you have wine with a screw top, it is not necessary to store the wine flat, but it does make it easier to store if you do.
Protect Wine from Light and Vibration
Constant vibration can damage wine. It does not allow sediment to settle in red wine. Storing wine in a refrigerator will also expose the wine to vibration from the refrigerator motor. The fridge will also shine a direct light on the wine every time the door opens, as most people tend to lay the wine on the top shelf of the fridge.
Did you know that most wine bottles have UV filters built-into the glass? This is because UV light is harmful to wines. However, this does not provide 100% protection and a wine left in the light will deteriorate.
Store Wine at the Proper Humidity.
Ask any wine expert about humidity and they will tell you that the ideal humidity in which to store wines is 70%, The theory is that the corks in the wine bottles will dry out in low humidity.
To be quite honest, unless you live in the desert it is unlikely to occur to you. If you worry about this, you can place an open container of water inside the storage area, but unless you are laying down bottles for in excess of ten years, then it is not the most pressing concern for wine lovers.
Of course, excessive moisture can cause damage and allow mold to grow on the bottles. As long as the cork is not faulty this will not have any impact on the wine itself but may destroy the appearance of the label.
Store Wine in a Wine Fridge, Not a Regular Fridge.
Most homes do not come complete with a cool, dark, stone cellar where we can set up a wine storage area. So, we need to find a cool, dark environment for our wines. Somewhere that mimics the typical wine cellar.
It could be a cupboard under the stairs that remains within the temperatures I have provided. Just set up a wine rack in there.
If you are really serious about your wines you may consider a purpose-designed wine refrigerator. Typical wine refrigerators in the UK costs between £150 and £250 and store between 12 and 21 bottles of wine in optimum conditions. For slightly more you can get dual-zone models that have two sections which can be set to the optimum temperatures for red and white wines.
Of course, you can pay substantially more if you want solid doors that block out all light or greater capacity.
A wine fridge is designed to be vibration-free and will come with built-in wine racks. A wine refrigerator is a perfect addition to a home bar.
Final Thought
All of the information given in the article is about a sealed bottle of wine. Occasionally a situation occurs where you do not empty a bottle of wine. In this situation, seal the bottle with a "cork stopper" and put it in the fridge. White or Rose wine is probably going to stay drinkable for two or maybe even three days, Red wines should not be put into the fridge and will stay drinkable for a couple of days.
