Storing Good Wine
Storing wine properly will make sure it tastes as good as possible when you do want to open the bottle. The right racking and storage methods make all the difference, especially if you want to lay down a high quality bottle or two to mature for a special occasion. There is no reason you can’t buy a good but young wine at a nice cheap price then let it age for a few years in your own cellar.
In fact, you don’t really need a cellar. Not everyone has a one and not everyone has a huge amount of time and money to devote to building a fine collection, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep your own wines. A garage will do just as well as long as the temperature stays more or less constant. The storage room should feel a little chilly but not freezing cold.
Bottles should be placed on their sides. This keeps the corks from drying out and shrinking, which can let air into the bottle and spoil it. If you place each one with the label side up you’ll be able to tell if sediments are forming just by looking at the bottle. You don’t need special racking – cardboard boxes full of horizontally stacked bottles will do just fine.
In fact, boxes are sometimes helpful. Ideally a wine space should be dark, and if you want to use the cellar or garage for other things it’s a good idea to ensure the wine is kept away from the light.
