The Dos and Don’ts of Proper Wine Storage from Your Winery Appraisers in Napa County, CA

November 20, 2017 2:31 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Have you ever gone to open a bottle of wine that you thought you were really going to enjoy but, after you tasted it, you were left feeling less than overwhelmed, and maybe even disappointed? It may not be the winemaker’s fault. Unfortunately, despite your best efforts, the problem may be your own doing.

Whether you are a wine enthusiast or just your average wine drinker, knowing how to properly store your wine is important. Storing wine the wrong way can turn even a great, expensive wine into, well, sour grapes. Whether you purchased ready-to-drink wines from the corner liquor store or you invested in an expensive vintage, here are a few tips to help you make sure that your wine is being stored properly:

  • Know how long to store it: Wines you buy off the shelf from your local liquor or grocery store are almost always ready-to-drink wines, meaning that they do not need any extra shelf time to reach their optimal taste and flavor and can be enjoyed right away. Certain wines, however, actually taste better with time. If you are investing in a wine that requires extra shelf time, be sure to know how long you can or should store it before drinking.
  • Store it on its side: Storing your wine upright can cause the cork to dry out and air to get inside the bottle. To keep this from happening, store your bottle of wine on its side. The wine will help keep the cork moist until you are ready to enjoy it.
  • Don’t store it in direct sunlight: Sunlight can increase the temperature of your wine and cause frequent fluctuations in temperature, leading it to “cook” inside the bottle, which can affect the flavor of the wine.
  • Keep it cool: While wine does not necessarily have to be kept in the cellar, it should be kept somewhere cool. You want to keep the air temperature somewhere between 40°F and 65°F. If you don’t have a space in your home that stays this cool, you may want to invest in a wine cooler. While storing some wines in the refrigerator short-term is okay, most kitchen refrigerators maintain a temperature below what is ideal for the proper storage of wine.
  • Watch the humidity levels: While you don’t want to store your wine in an area that is too humid, you do want the humidity in the air to be about 50 to 80 percent.

As your local winery appraisers in Napa County, CA, we know the artistry and science that goes into making a great bottle of wine, and we think one of the worst things you can do is spoil the flavor of a good wine through improper storage. Luckily, by following these few, simple tips, you can make sure that your wine tastes great whenever you’re ready to drink it. Take it from the wine enthusiasts at County Appraisals Inc.—proper storage is the key to a great bottle of wine!

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