Tip #52 – How to Store Wine Correctly
The World of Wine Explained
Swiss people are top – at drinking wine. Switzerland ranked 4th worldwide in per capita wine consumption in 2020, but do you know how to store wine correctly?
Ideally, you can create your own wine cellar, but not everyone has this opportunity. Those who have the necessary funds and no cellar of their own purchase a wine refrigerator with different wine zones.
The lucky ones with their own wine cellar, like me, certainly need to be aware of a few things to store wine. Not every cellar is suitable for storing wine.
1. Temperature: Should be a constant 10 to 14 degrees Celsius. Small fluctuations over the year are not an issue. However, if the temperature rises above 20°C for an extended period, the wine ripens faster and more uncontrollably.
2. Humidity: Ideally between 70 and 80 percent. If the humidity is too high, mold can form, and in the worst case, the wine labels could detach. Caution: If temperatures are too low, below 50%, the wine cork could shrink slightly, air would enter, and harm the wine through oxidation.
3. Air: Usually, there is always a slightly musty smell in the cellar, which does not harm the wine. However, foreign odors such as car tires, onions, or fruit potpourri are a different matter; they do not belong in the wine cellar, as the cork can absorb these in the finest nuances.
4. Environment: Generally, the wine cellar should be dark. But vibrations or shocks, for example, caused by a washing machine or by trams/trains, are also not optimal for storage.
5. Storing wines horizontally or vertically: A topic that is always hotly debated. Traditionally, wines are stored horizontally. However, a study by Geisenheim University in Germany has shown that wines stored vertically release enough moisture to the cork and do not suffer in quality.
6. Storage Potential: Did you know that only 3-10% of wines benefit from longer storage? The more acidity, alcohol, or sugar a wine has, the longer it is generally storable.
Yes, the theory always sounds good, but how does it actually work in practice? Honestly – my wine cellar is usually too warm in terms of temperature. The fact is, however, with a stock of now almost 2000 bottles, I have not uncorked a single drop that has a flaw in recent months.
I suggest to you: Don't worry too much about your "wine cellar," enjoy the wine, and file these facts away somewhere in your subconscious.
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