Store Your Wines Like Your Luxury Furs

Ok before you call PETA on me, please hear me out. The other day a friend was sharing with me she inherited her grandmother's fur. She was taking it to have it altered. I asked if she was going to have the furrier store it in the offseason. She replied, no. She has a non-insulated closest she used to house the coat and other furs. As she started to describe the area, the conditions were similar to how you would store wine. Similar to furs, wines should be stored in a dark and cool location.

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Wine Storage Tips

Your wine collection is an investment. You may not be ready to convert your spare bedroom to a wine cellar, but you want to safeguard your investment. Here are a few simple tips to ensure every bottle you own is well preserved.

The kitchen is the most popular place to store wine. But, your kitchens may be the worst places to store your wine. Your kitchen has sunlight and heat- two elements that can damage wine. You want your kitchen to be bright and sunny. Who doesn't? However, the sun rays can damage your wine. UV rays can degrade and prematurely age wine. Your kitchen also can achieve extremely high temperatures. It is a lose-lose combination. Especially when you display wine in those fancy countertop decorative units, you could unknowingly cook your wine. Use temperature-controlled equipment, like a wine cooler, when you want to store your wine in the kitchen.

wine storage

Placing your wine in your kitchen refrigerator is great for a quick chill. However, it should not be used for extended storage. You prevent cross-contamination from food odors when you do not store wine in your kitchen refrigerator. Also, it is challenging to maintain the kitchen refrigerator between 50-60˚F (10-15˚C) and at the proper humidity.

The ideal temperature is 50 degrees. Your storage area in your basement can reach a similar condition. You want to ensure you have low to moderate humidity in this area: 50 - 70 percent humidity. You want some humidity in the room. The moisture helps to keep the cork moist. Laying the bottles on its side is another method to keep the cork moist.

A closet is the next best thing when a lack of space is an issue. Placing the wine at the bottom of the closet can do the job. Avoid the top shelf; remember heat rises. Ultimately the best method to store your wine is a wine cooler. Consider buying a small wine cooler. Keep your wine fridge in a cool place, it won’t have to work so hard, keeping your energy bill down.

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