| The consumption and collection of wine has been | | | | oxidation process, and ruin the wine. |
| growing over the last few years. While more and | | | | Making sure that the wine is stored at a horizontal |
| more money has been going into wine as investment | | | | angle is important, as the cork will not dry out if the |
| or for future consumption, questions about the wine's | | | | wine is in contact with the cork. Otherwise, the cork |
| history are asked. So the question often arises when it | | | | drying out can cause air to come into contact with the |
| comes time to understand the provenance of a wine: | | | | wine prematurely. |
| How has this wine been stored? | | | | Light can have an affect on the wine as well. Light will |
| This question is important, as it can mean the | | | | prematurely age a wine, cause it to be ruined. |
| difference between euphoria and depression in the | | | | Florescent lighting can cause the most damage, and |
| wine drinker. The glory of opening a beautiful bottle of | | | | too much light can "turn" the wine. |
| perfectly stored wine, or the agony and letdown of | | | | Vibration can be another issue. The sediment in the |
| opening poorly stored wine. That poorly stored wine | | | | wine can be affected, and can cause damage to the |
| that upon opening is nothing more than vinegar. | | | | wine. So keeping the wine in a "vibration-free" |
| So what are the issues of how to properly store | | | | environment is very important. Often times, the term |
| wine? The issues are: Temperature, humidity, lighting, | | | | "bottle shock" is used for wines that have been |
| cleanliness of the storage unit or facility, vibration, and | | | | excessively jostled during the shipping process. Even in |
| the angle of the bottle in storage. | | | | drinking a wine that has been shipped or brought from |
| Temperature is relatively simple. The ideal temperature | | | | the store is often well served by waiting a few days |
| is between 50 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The lower | | | | to weeks before opening, allowing the sediment in the |
| the temperature, the more the aging process can be | | | | wine to "settle down". |
| retarded in the wine. Fluctuations in temperature, as | | | | Another factor to point to is how clean where the |
| long as they are not drastic, are ok, though not | | | | wine is being stored. Poorly ventilated, dirty, grimy |
| completely ideal. One does not have to worry that | | | | facilities can have very negative affects. The label can |
| because the wine was stored at 63 degrees versus | | | | get very dirty and will negatively affect the resale |
| 56 degrees does not affect the provenance of the | | | | value of the wine, and poor ventilation can affect the |
| wine. As long as the fluctuations in temperature occur | | | | taste of the wine, giving a musty component that is |
| slowly, it is fine. However, the higher the temperature is | | | | certainly a negative attribute! |
| in the storage facility, the wine can age more quickly. | | | | All in all, the storage and care of wine is very important |
| The recommended humidity of a wine storage facility | | | | to the investment quality of the wine, as well as the |
| is 70 percent, though it is fine to be 10-15% above or | | | | potential enjoyment to the drinker down the road. |
| below that level. Humidity of the cellar is important to | | | | There may be little else as disappointing in the wine |
| the wine for a couple of reasons: the cork and the | | | | world as opening a poorly stored wine that has turned |
| labels. If there is too much humidity (over 80% for | | | | to vinegar. However, when storage conditions have |
| example) the labels are susceptible to rot and mold, | | | | been appropriately kept, and the wine has been well |
| which can affect the value of the wine. If it is too dry | | | | cared for, the aging process happens the right way, |
| (below 50%), the corks can dry out, which can cause | | | | and the beauty of that wine can be savored as it was |
| the cork to shrink, increasing the likelihood of air coming | | | | intended to be when it was acquired in the first place. |
| in contact with the wine, which would begin an | | | | |