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How do you store wine properly?
Wine has four natural enemies: sunlight, heat, large temperature changes and oxygen. All of these factors destroy the fine aromas and balance of the wine. Accordingly, care must be taken during storage to ensure that these elements can exert as little influence as possible. It is irrelevant whether the storage period is a few months or several years or even decades.
Principles
- Wine should be stored in as dark a place as possible and should never be exposed to direct sunlight.
- The Temperature in the storage room should be as constant as possible and relatively low; ten to twelve degrees is considered a guide value. A higher storage temperature is far less disadvantageous than frequent and large temperature fluctuations (over five degrees difference). At a constantly higher temperature (which, however, should never exceed 18 to 20 degrees), the wine only matures faster; constant and considerable temperature changes, on the other hand, disturb the chemical balance. Temperature differences between day and night in particular should therefore be avoided, as they occur with great frequency. Certain seasonal temperature differences (up to five degrees) are more acceptable, as they are more gradual and occur over a longer period of time, so that the wine can adapt better.
- The Humidity in the storage room should be higher, especially if the wines are mainly sealed with corks.
- Whether the bottles are stored upright or lying down is basically irrelevant. Horizontal storage is only relevant for wines that are to mature over a long period of time (considerably more than five years) and are sealed with natural corks so that they do not dry out.
A conventional refrigerator is not suitable for storing wine permanently, even if the temperature here is low and constant. Every time the door is opened, there are temperature fluctuations and light (daylight as well as lamplight). In addition, the wine in the refrigerator is constantly exposed to vibrations (from the opening and closing of the door as well as from the activity of the motor), which can have a negative effect on it.
Cellar rooms
Those who have an old cellar at their disposal that is thermally shielded from the outside world to such an extent that at least the temperature differences between day and night are largely prevented, and which has above-average humidity, can consider themselves lucky.
Even a conventional cellar can be prepared for the proper storage of wine with a few measures:
- Even closing the cellar window with insulating material and insulating the walls can significantly reduce temperature fluctuations.
- Humidity can be increased, for example, by using damp cloths or a tub with wet hydroponic stones.
- A closed cellar room can also be completely air-conditioned. The company Günther Kälte-Klima in Aschaffenburg offers solutions ranging from air conditioning units to special shelves.
To protect high-quality wines from the influence of air and pests (such as the cork moth), the bottle top can also be covered with document sealing lacquer.
wine fridges
Ideal for the proper storage of wine is a wine climate cabinet. Such cabinets ensure shock-free storage at a stable, selectable temperature and ideal humidity. They come in a wide variety of sizes (from 18 to several hundred bottles) and with different temperature zones. Prices range from three to five figures; in addition to the purchase costs, however, you should also factor in the running costs of electricity.
Here is a selection of manufacturers (in alphabetical order):