Storing Wine
Keep your favorite bottles of wine in the optimum conditions for short-term storage or long-term aging with these expert suggestions.
Keep 'Em Cool
Never put a wine rack in a spot that's too warm or high up. Wine should be kept someplace dark, chilly and close to the floor. If you don't have a cellar, try the bottom of a cool closet.
Keep Temperature Steady
Most wine should be stored at steady temperature of between 52 and 62 degrees. One of the best ways to do this is with a self-contained wine refrigerator.
Recork Open Wines
If you can't finish an open bottle, recork it and stand it up in your refrigerator. Avoid storing wine in the fridge's door compartment as this allows temperature fluctuation. No matter if the bottle is red, white, cheap or expensive, a wine will start to flatten out once air gets into the bottle, so make sure to finish re-corked wine within 2 or 3 days of opening.
Age to "Peak"
Many wines get better with age, but this is particularly true of red wines, which mellow as their acidic tannins fade. Ask your wine seller if it's best to open the bottle right away, or if you should let it sit for a number of years until it reaches maturity. If your wine merchant is unsure, you can always check with the producer through their web site or give them a call. Even before they pick the grapes, great winemakers know when a certain vintage will peak.
Great Wines Age Well
"A red wine ages depending on two main factors," explains Randy Clement, co-owner of Los Angeles' Silver Lake Wine, "the producer and the vintage." If a region and grape has a spectacular year, like the 1997 California Cabernets, the wine will age very well, and you can lay a bottle down to see how the flavor changes with time. Clement recommends Barbaresco, an Italian red made from the Nebbiolo grape, as having excellent longevity.
Age to Your Taste
Of course, how long you age a red wine will also depend on your own particular tastes. If, like many American wine drinkers, you prefer a bold and fruity red, then you should open the bottle when it's still young. If your tastes are more traditionally British, you might want to age a specific bottle for five, 10, or even 15 years to get that mellow, mature flavor.
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