Some advice for storing wine in the best possible way:
Whether it concerns experienced professionals or occasional amateurs : all will agree about this statement : the storage of your wines : Bordeaux, Bourgogne, Sancerre or Châteauneuf-du-Pape…is a key step to be able to make them as good as possible, to taste and appreciate them, and above all not to have to throw away bottles which would be a sacrilege.
At André Brunel estate we are very careful about the storage of our wines : we are going to give you some tips and secrets to help you to store your wines as well as possible.
Here is what you need to know to succeed a good storage
If you want to store good vintages for a special event or to age them, there are many solutions but more or less adapted. You must know the most important factors which make a good storage so as not make mistakes.
How store your wine perfectly ?
Unfortunately we don’t have any magic solution to offer : the best way to store bottles of wine is a cellar or a wine fridge.
Both of them offer many advantages :
- An ideal temperature: Bottles should be kept at a moderate and stable temperature for safe aging, around 12° celsius (53.6 fahrenheits). So, the cellar makes it possible to control the temperature of the bottles and therefore preserve them as well as possible.
- Protected from UV: bottles must be stored out of reach of sunlight, therefore the cellar protects you bottles of Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the degradation of aromas by UV.
- A perfect humidity:The wine fridge will also control the humidity ( neither too wet nor too dry ) so as to make the conservation and ageing of the bottles quite perfect.
- No vibrations: Do not put a wine fridge above subway line !
For once, forget the aesthetic aspect ! If you want your bottles to be even more well protected you can wrap them in a plastic film before laying them on the cellar shelf. This film will protect the bottles from external damage and will also prtotect the label. Ingenious for bottle you want to age !
Tips or tricks for storing your bottles of wine if you don’t have a cellar
Lack of space in your appartment to put a cellar or a wine fridge?
There are solutions for you:
- First of all, as explained before, avoid exposing the bottles to light ; store them in a cupboard protected from UV.
- It is essential to put the bottles in a horizontal position to prevent the cork from drying out ( which swould cause the liquid to evaporate )
- check the humidity in the room regularly (75%) and keep your bottles away from vibrations and smells.
If your apartment has a cellar in the basement , this is of course the ideal place to store the bottles, espacially with the very hot summer which are annouced for the years to come.
Don’t forget : Above 17° C / 62.60 F, the bottle aging process is compromised.
Duration and date of consumption of the wine :
To avoid opening a bottle of bad wine or letting it oxidized or maderized after opening, here are some practical advice for ageing it in good conditions.
How can we know how long we can keep a wine?
If the bottle has been opened, its color will show and help you to know the time left to drink it.
- For rosé and white wine keep them in the fridge for a maxumum of 7 days.
- Red wines can be kept at room temperature (except if you have a great heat ) and in the dark for 3 or 4 days.
In any case, it’s much better to use « natural » corks rather then plastic or rubber ones.
Once this period over, avoid consuming the wine, which besides may oxidized and therefore could even cause you some health problems.
We can see that a wine has exceeded the drinking limits by observing its color which has changed or by smelling the wine which can have an acid smell – Don’t drink it !
Can a bottle of wine have exceeded the drinking limits ?
Yes, a bottle of wine can no longer be drinkable. It can be, for example, be corked because it has been poorly stored.
Nevertheless, if the storage has been correctly carried out, some wines can be kept for a very long time : The « grands crûs » of cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, white sauvignon, some Champagnes, Bordeaux and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. All these wines find their perfect balance grow 7 to to years, even 20 for some of them.
When you taste these exceptional wines, be very meticulous and precise : decant the wine from 4 to 5 hours before drinking it.
Enjoy!
Published : 2023-04-04