Store wine properly

The wine storage is a particular topic in itself. Wine is food that does not have to be stored in principle, but can even get better with proper storage. Here, time, but of course the right storage conditions play an important role. How long can you store wine, if at all? How and where is wine stored best? These and other questions we will answer below and tell you how to store wine properly.

Wine, the special drink

Wine is a drink for lovers and connoisseurs. Real wine lovers know that the noble drink should be enjoyed with all senses. Until you take the first sip, you swirl the wine in an adequate glass, let nose and eye also try. Then, when the wine wets lips, tongue, and palate, the actual taste experience begins. But it is only perfect if you store your wine correctly because improper storage can spoil the enjoyment of wine.

To the storability of wines

However, not every wine needs to be stored. Some wine drinkers, who say that wine needs to mature or even take its time, can be wrong. Shelf life is the keyword, but how do you know if and to what extent wine is storable? Different factors underlie the shelf life of wines. Wines from older vines are more storable than those from younger vines. Also, the amount of tannins plays an important role - the more, the higher the shelf life. Other chemical aspects are tannic acid and the level of sulfur and alcohol content. Again, the more, the more storable.

The right storage conditions for wine

Also, the storage conditions are crucial for the shelf life of wine, and this is where your storage unit comes into play. Create the best conditions in the wine store, to do your wine not only good but the best. With LAGERBOX you will find exactly such storage conditions. Please contact us and we will see how we can support you. 

Store wine in a cool place

Very important for wine is the correct storage temperature. Heat is the enemy of every wine. Even 21 °C cause the wine to ripen more quickly and from 25 °C upwards it loses its aroma and taste.

A suitable temperature range for storing wine is between 7 and 18 °C; wine experts estimate the perfect temperature at 11 to 12 °C. It is also essential - and we guarantee this in the storage box - that the temperature is most time constant. Temperature fluctuations, such as prevalent in garages or cellars, are not conducive to the wine.

What humidity in the wine storeroom?

If the air in the wine storeroom is too dry, it may cause the cork to dry out and allow too much air to enter the bottle. This, in turn, leads to oxidation of the wine. For a long time, there was a general belief that the humidity of storing wine should be around 70%. Today, however, it is known that value in the range between 50 and 80% is also excellent. Within this range, however, the humidity should be right if you want to store wine properly. If it is too high, mold can form on the cork, and the labels can be damaged. If the humidity is too low, the cork can become porous and allow air to penetrate, which in turn leads to wine oxidation.

Good to know: In general, the humidity today no longer takes on the great importance as in the past. It may be the case because natural corks are becoming increasingly expensive due to the increasing scarcity of cork. In many wine bottles, the classic cork, therefore, gives way to non-porous capsules or twist caps made of metal. If there are still specimens with natural corking in your wine storeroom, the humidity is interesting again.

How to optimize the humidity

It is also possible to influence even the humidity. If the value is too low, you can, for example, help with the simple means of an open water bowl in the room. To avoid excessive humidity, you can also use a dehumidifier in the wine storeroom. But this only as a tip, with LAGERBOX there are already optimal conditions for wine storage, even in this area.

The lighting conditions in the wine storeroom

Another aspect, if you want to store wine properly, is the light. Like many other stored goods, wine does not like direct and, above all, permanent sunshine. The UV radiation in sunlight is the problem. It favors chemical reactions in the wine, which in turn make the quality suffer enormously. Whether wine has received too much light, is also directly reflected in color: white wine turns golden, red wine fades.

Did you know? It is precisely for these reasons that centuries ago wine was stored in darkened glass. The dark bottles look like sunglasses and protect the wine from the effects of light.

Keep wine bottles standing or lying down?

A question that divorces so many minds, is actually relatively unequivocal and straightforward to answer: Does one store wine standing or lying? Again, it depends on whether the wine has a natural cork or not. If so, it should be stored lying down, so that the cork gets moisture. Otherwise, if the wine bottles have alternative closures, such as metal screw caps, you can also store them standing upright.

Avoid shocks

One aspect of the perfect wine storage that only very few people consider is a shock. We may not notice them, but the wine already. The fact needs quiet storage so that the sediment can deposit. If the vibrations are too frequent, it will be churned up again and again, which may affect the maturation of the wine. Storage on busy roads and railway lines or proximity to permanently active building services such as boilers, washing machines or pumps is therefore out of the question.

How long can you store wine?

All the above criteria meet your personal storage space. You can rely on us to ensure that your wine is stored correctly. But how long?

Store young wines: For fresh, youthful wines extended storage is not recommended. It will not improve the quality and taste of the wine in any way. On the contrary: young wines should be enjoyed even at a young age.

Many other wines have different characteristics. We have once put together an overview:

How does an optimal wine rack look like?

Many simply have no room left for a decent wine store today. That's why many bottles of wine are stored standing, and less and less proper wine racks are being bought. With LAGERBOX you have the place, and we even offer you the shelf set-up for your wine storage. But how should wine shelves be?

For smaller wine stocks also cheap shelves from the furniture business. For larger warehouses and expensive wines are stable, specially built wine racks with appropriate compartments for the correct storage.

Wine rack and storage space climate

Relevant in this context are the climatic conditions of the wine storage. High humidity requires instead shelves made of stone or concrete, in low humidity, the classic wood is often used. Metal shelves are suitable for both.

Special wine racks with air conditioning are recommended for particularly high-quality wines. Such wine cabinets allow you to customize the circumstances in which your wine is stored completely. Remember: good wine cellars are an investment of well over hundreds of euros and of course consume electricity throughout.