Wine: How to Store It Rightly

The wine’s freshness and flavour depends on the way the wine is stored. Hence it’s important that you store your wine bottle carefully. Here are some basics to keep in mind.

Irrespective the quality of the wine bottle caps used - wines if stored under inadequate conditions tend to deteriorate rapidly. Be it red wine or white wine - a regular wine --once opened must be consumed quickly, as it rapidly loses its flavour and aroma due to oxidation. However, the reds are less susceptible to oxidation and heat than the whites, because red wines have higher tannins. Whereas, on the other hand, fortified wines can last for several weeks.

Here tips to follow:

• Store wines in moderate cool and constant temperature to avoid any damage caused by weather conditions. Always keep the wine bottle away from strong light -- else it will decay before time.  If it’s not possible to keep the bottle in the dark, ensure you wrap the bottle in a cloth. Note: White wines and sparkling wines require a much lower temperature than the reds.
  
• Avoid extremely cold temperatures. Since it leads to the formation of wine crystals.
  
• Storing wines in wooden crates or corrugated boxes works best. This protects them from direct light and breakage.
  
• Wine bottles with aluminium caps and synthetic corks may be stored either way--horizontally or vertically. Things to note: While most wines benefit from being stored horizontally; champagne and sparkling wines age better when they are kept upright.
  
• The kitchen is the worst place for storing wine. Because even though the bottle is sealed perfectly with high-quality wine closures - the wide fluctuations in kitchen temperature make the wine lose the flavour and aroma.
  
• It is best to store the wine in a place where it is least likely to be disturbed, as unexpected vibrations can deter the taste and aroma of the beverage.
  
• If you have too many wine bottles at home fix an inexpensive wooden wine rack on the wall. Place the rack in a dry, cool, and dark corner - inside a big closet, basement, a spare room, or under the stairs, to ensure the conditions mentioned above are met.