What is the perfect temperature for wine storage?
Everybody has seen a lovely old bottle before. Wines kept in storage for a long time have been appreciated. But wine isn’t anything you can leave alone and hope to improve with time. Ensuring that your wine has the ideal environment is necessary.
Optimal circumstances for wine preservation
Solid and pungent smells should not be combined with wine when storing it since this can contaminate both the wine and the cork. It’s best to have adequate ventilation in the wine cellar to prevent musty odors from affecting the wine.
The ideal conditions for wine storage are dark and vibration-free. Moving wine bottles around a lot or aggressively is not encouraged as this might cause the wine to go wrong. Wine can be ruined by bright lights or direct sunshine. Therefore, it is best to keep it away from these light sources. If you cannot keep a bottle out of direct sunlight, cover and envelop the bottle entirely with a cloth to provide additional protection. Keep the wine bottles in a container made of cardboard.
The state of the wine depends critically on humidity. Excessive humidity creates ideal circumstances for mildew growth and the loosening and deterioration of wine bottle labeling. As a result, it is suggested that the moisture stays below 70%.
A thermohygrometer may be used to check the humidity, which indicates whether the air has to be dehumidified or humidified. A dehumidifier can be installed to regulate the room’s moisture levels.
Lighting: It is best to be dark. Wines that are exposed to light will soon develop off-flavors and smells. Because of this, the majority of wine bottles have deep hues of brown (the ideal) or green. Utilize the lighting in your basement exclusively for specific tasks like retrieving a bottle, taking inventory, or just showcasing it to visitors. You should leave the light off. Being exposed to sunlight, particularly direct sunlight, was a recipe for problems.
Most people don’t think about vibration, but it may be highly detrimental over time. Check that the engine in a chilled wine cabinet you buy is appropriately isolated and won’t cause vibrations to transfer to the cabinet’s goods. If you’ve decided to construct your cellar, locate a location distant from any possible vibration sources by looking around. Similarly, wine taken on an aircraft flight frequently loses flavor immediately after landing. Fortunately, if exported, a wine will generally bounce back from these brief exposures in days.
Strong Odors: Your wine may be impacted by mold, cleaning agents, or other strong odors since the cork could take part of these substances and transfer them into your wine. Don’t worry too much about it, although it can disrupt your wine if it disturbs you when you’re in the room.
Why Is Temperature Important for Storing Wine?
Wine kept at the right temperature promotes the right kinds of chemical reactions. Molecules will slow down, split down, or malfunction in other ways if they are too warm or cold. Wine storage temperature is critical because of this.
Anything less than retaining your wine’s individuality and vitality is at stake here. Some of the most excellent wine books provide information unique to individual wine varietals.
Here are some basic guidelines and recommended techniques for maintaining the ideal temperature when storing wine.
Advice on the ideal temperature for consuming
Although there are rules, your preference plays a factor in determining the ideal temperature to drink wine. Combining the perfect storage and consumption temperatures is possible with a quality wine chiller. The wine matures more quickly under warmer storage conditions. A wine that grows more slowly will ultimately provide greater enjoyment when drunk.
The recommended temperature is between 10 and 12 °C for wine to be stored for a while. As the temperature remains steady, the precise temp of storage is less significant.