I am a huge wine drinker and I’m not really picky, but I do prefer Chardonnay usually. Wine does not stay around long in this house but when you have a few bottles or one you are saving for a special occasion you want to know how to store and serve wine properly.
How to Store Wine:
- The ideal condition for storing wine is dark and cool around 54F (12C). A closet, under the bed or your basement, is ideal. Wine hates UV light because it prematurely ages it.
- Consistency is more important than coolness, so keep it in a place that does not fluctuate much.
- Store bottles in a rack or on their side so the cork does not dry out. When the cork dries out it shrinks and lets in too much oxygen which can turn your wine rancid.
- Keep it still and don’t move it much. Too much shaking will disturb the sediments in red wine giving you a glass of grit instead of wine.
Now that you know how to store your wine, now we need to learn how to serve wine cold or warm? To decant or not to decant that is the question!
How to Serve Wine:
- As a general rule of thumb, serve white cold and red at room temp. Many experts agree you should not serve wine over 60 degrees but to me the colder the better for white wine. If you are chilling it in the fridge it takes about 3 hours. If you are using an ice bucket, about 20 minutes.
- Decanting – Decanting is the process of pouring a bottle of wine into another vessel for serving. Its purpose is to separate the wine from the sediment at the bottom of the bottle which will make your wine more astringent. Decanting is also used to aerate younger wines and give them more oxygen so they are fuller in flavor. There are two ways to decant wine, straight into a glass wine decanter and let it sit for 25-30 minutes or use a wine aerator for immediate gratification. Wines to decant include- Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and their blends.
- Use the right glass – Red wines need a wider glass with a larger bowl. White wine glasses are narrower and have more of a U-shaped bowl.
Now I can’t believe anyone reading this would actually leave an opened bottle with wine in it and not drink it all (wink wink), but in case you do these rabbit bottle stoppers are my absolute favorite. They create a solid seal and you can lay your bottle flat in your fridge and it won’t drip at all. You will want to drink that bottle within 2 days or it will start to go rancid. Now you are on your first steps to enjoying your wine more. What’s your favorite wine tip?
Angela Waterford says
Thanks for informing me that the ideal storage temperature for wines are around 12 degrees Celcius. My friend gave me a lot of expensive wines from her collection, and now I don’t know what I should do with them. I think I’ll look for a facility that stores wines for the meantime so I’ll be able to keep them fresh.
lisa says
We just keep the ones we really enjoy and plus holiday seasons are coming, so it’s time to get ready. Anyways, thank you so much for sharing such an informative guide. Looking forward to more posts! <3
noor says
Yes, I agree with you we can not store the wine for a long time. I also have little bit collection of wine and i have set all the bottles on the table. After saw your wine rack i have decided to make this shape of the wine rack.
lisa says
I love wine country and since I live in Washington I’ve visited winery country here and in Oregon, plenty of times. The last time I was in Napa I was very young and would love to return as I really loved the landscape.
Aubrey Cota says
Napa is definitely beautiful, but wine country no matter where you are offers such a wonderful atmosphere.
Australia wholesale liquor suppliers says
All I know is that only room temperature or bellow the basement is the best way for wine storage. I don’t know why but I saw it on tv and my friends house.
ryan J says
Red is usually better a little bit lower than room temp from my experience, but too cold and it loses a lot of flavor.
Aubrey Cota says
Thank you Ryan!
Alcoline says
I and my hubby love to drink wines as well. We just keep the ones we really enjoy and plus holiday seasons are coming, so it’s time to get ready. Anyways, thank you so much for sharing such an informative guide. Looking forward to more posts! <3
Janice says
Great tips! Choosing the right glass is huge and so simple. Going to have to share this with my friends when they wonder next time!
Larry McCoy says
The most basic thing to know about wine storage is 55 degrees. That is the maximum recommended temperature to store wine at. The minimum is 45 degrees.
But if you are just keeping your wine around for a week or two, its is good enough to just store it on its side in a wine rack out of the sun or in the refrigerator.
Thanks for the share 🙂
James Bay says
I’m am very passionate about wine as well. I totally agree that white wines are always better colder! It makes the experience so much better. Thank you for your post!