5 Tips on How to Store Wine
Updated July 18th 2023
It is important that your bottles are stored correctly in your home. If not, the wine can get spoiled. If stored according to the five tips listed in this guide, your wine can even grow in value and quality.
One of the great pleasures of learning more about wine is to start building a wine collection at home. Choosing and buying (and drinking!) wine is the fun part of the process, but it is essential that the wine is stored correctly. If not, it can go bad. Storing wine correctly is especially important if it is a wine that benefits from aging.
Tip #1: Keep it slightly chilled
Temperature is perhaps the most important factor when storing wine. Store your wine in the right temperature to keep it fresh. If it's too hot, the wine will go bad quickly. Average room temperature is too hot, but normal fridge is too cold. Keep it in a place which is slightly chilled, such as a drawer or in the basement. Just don’t freeze the wine!
Some people like to buy special temperature-controlled wine refrigerators. They provide excellent conditions to store wine and it can be a good investment if you really like wine, but they are not absolutely necessary in order to store wine properly. The benefit of a wine refrigerator is that you can put the exact ideal temperature for your wine.
The best storage temperature for red wine is 13˚C -19˚C (58°F to 68°F). The best temperature for white wine is 8˚C -12˚C (46°F to 55°F). Many people wonder at what temperature does wine spoil, and the answer is: at temperatures above 21˚C (70°F). Room temperature is usually around 20–22 °C (68–72 °F) and that is why you should keep your wine is a cooler place. You can of course store your wine in room temperature for a few weeks without any damage to the wine, but not for a few years.
Note that serving temperature is not the same as storage temperature. If you want to know the ideal serving temperature, we recommend you read our guide about serving temperature for wine.
Tip #2 Avoid too much light
Keep your wine in a place without direct sunlight or strong interior lighting. Keep in mind that normal household lightning releases heat, which is bad for the wine. Sunlight is even worse and should always be avoided. Keep it away from light because it will damages the aromas and flavours of the wine. Of course you will need some light in the place where you store it, but try to keep it in the dark as much as possible.
Tip #3: Store it horizontally
Wine should be stored horizontally. During storage, wine needs to be in contact with the cork in order for it not to get dried out, which can spoil the wine by having a “corked” wine. This does not apply for wines with screw caps. If you want to learn more about "corked wine" we recommend you to read our guide about cork vs screw cap.
Tip #4: Avoid vibrations & temperature changes
Vibrations are bad for the wine, as it disrupts the taste and aging process. Keep wine away from washers, dryers, refrigerators, stereos and workout areas. Fluctuating temperatures also have a negative impact on the aging process of the wine and should be avoided.
Tip #5: Use a convenient place
Make sure to store your wine somewhere convenient. Wine is supposed to be enjoyed so make sure that your wine storage is easy to reach and practical to use. When storing wine in an apartment, a drawer could be a good and convenient place to store the wine bottles.
