While stored for years, wine needs minimal attention but is still very vulnerable to abuse. Many of us believe in common myths about how to store our bottles properly and, in doing so, risk disappointment down the line when what promised to be a great bottle reveals itself as damaged goods.
Let’s look at some of the most common misconceptions:
Cold isn’t always right
If you think a good cellar is just one that’s cold, think again. Of course, temperature matters – but extreme, sudden temperature swings are very harmful to the compounds that help wine age well. So while your cellar may be eight degrees in January, if it hits eighteen degrees in August, that’s bad news. At the end of the day, in terms of wine keeping, stability is more important than the magic of any single number. Stick that thermometer on the wall for a reason.
Don’t trust the wine fridge
Wine fridges can be useful for short-term storage, but they’re no good for serious ageing. They don’t control for humidity, which allows corks to dry out, letting air into the bottle and ruining your wine.
The cellar doesn’t do the work for you
It’s easy to think that simply storing wine in a cellar is enough; that once they’re stashed away in there, they’ll be okay or at least as okay as can be expected. This just isn’t true. A cellar can pose plenty of stresses, from temperature fluctuations to vibration, light exposure or poor humidity. For Cellar Cooling Gloucester, visit https://www.acecc.co.uk/cellar-cooling/gloucester/
Room temperature isn’t ideal for reds
We’ve all been told that keeping our red wines at ‘room temperature’ is the best way to preserve them. But in the modern, centrally heated home, this usually means in excess of 20 or even 22 degrees, far too warm for storage that will go the distance. Hot temperatures accelerate ageing processes, causing wine to mature too fast and unevenly.