Storing and Displaying Your Wines In The House
If we always got what we wanted we would all wish for a lovely air-conditioned and air-circulated wine cellar. This would allow you to leave them well alone and yet know that they were in the best conditions for aging just right. Sadly, not many people can afford this option and so have to make do with the facilities we have. Here is some top advice for storing your wine collection properly.
Location. Your bottles, both white and also red wine, are best placed in a cool room, away from the light and with moderate humidity levels. The ideal temperature for storage should be between 10° and 16° C (50° to 61° F).Anything higher than this will lead to a decrease in wine quality but anything higher than 25° C will seriously damage the wine's flavours and body. So if the room you are storing the wine in tends to get hot, you might need a wine cooler to maintain low temp. leaving the bottle in direct sunlight can not only discolor it but also affect the air temperature inside the bottle. The humidity levels of the air found in the storage room can have dramatic effects on the cork, causing it to swell or contract. This can result in air forcing its way into the bottle and causing oxidation, a well known negative that occurs when wine has prolonged contact with oxygen.
Positioning. You should position the wines on their side or at a slight angle when storing them. This is because if there is not liquid in contact with the cork it can dry out and shrink. This can again cause oxidation as detailed above. It can also increase the risk of ‘corking’ the wine when you use a bottle opener.
Display. You don’t allows want your wines tucked away in a dark room. often you will want them to be on display so you can admire them. A good choice would be a well built wine cabinetbecause these tend to maintain a steady temperature and always go for one that lets you store your wines on their side.You don't want any that well jeopardise the thermoregulation of the wine so avoid cabinets with glass panels or doors as these trap heat. You might also want to consider a cabinet that allows you to display your wine accessories and dinnerware as well.
