The rest of us may be sure that our wines will remain undamaged, provided we follow a few basic rules. Know more about wine storage systems.
- Don’t lose your cool
Wine does not fare well in hot environments. A wine will mature too rapidly at temperatures over 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Wine may be “cooked,” losing its aromatic and flavorful qualities if the temperature rises too high. Although it’s not an exact science, the optimal temperature ranges between 45- and 65 degrees Fahrenheit (with 55 degrees often mentioned as nearly perfect). If you plan on drinking the wine within a few years of its release, you don’t need to worry if your storage is a little warmer.
- But don’t be too laid-back
Wines may be safely stored for a few months in the fridge, but storing them there for a long is risky. The typical refrigerator has a temperature much below the 45° F threshold required for the safe storage of perishable items, and the absence of humidity poses a risk that wine corks may dry out and let unwanted air into the bottles. If you live in a cold climate, avoid storing your wine in a fridge (an unheated garage in winter, forgotten for hours in the freezer). The cork could be forced out if the liquid begins to freeze.
- She is progressing steadily
Avoiding the traps of quick, dramatic, or frequent temperature changes is more essential than fretting about hitting 55 degrees Fahrenheit exactly. Not only will the liquid’s temperature change while cooking it, but the bottle’s contents may also expand and shrink, perhaps forcing the cork out of the bottle and letting some of the contents spill out. While uniformity is ideal, you shouldn’t obsess about slightly different temperatures since wines might experience much worse during transport. (Just because wine has leaked beyond the cork due to high temperatures doesn’t imply it’s terrible. Whether you don’t try it, you’ll never know if it’s still good or not.
