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Are you storing your wine correctly? If you are a casual wine drinker, storage might not be a significant concern for you. However, if you have more than three or four bottles on your wine rack, these storage steps can help prolong your wine’s life.

Fine wine can last for several years and gets better with age. These wines are expensive and can cost upwards of $200,000. If you have this type of collection, a wine cellar is essential, and wine connoisseurs can offer specific storage instructions for aging for each wine. Wine storage is also great when you do not have the space to have your wine at home.

The following steps and tips will show you how to store wine properly at home. They are not meant to teach you how to age wine but rather how to preserve everyday wine, so it doesn’t spoil prematurely.

1. Evaluate the wine that you want to put in storage. Not all wine is meant to be aged.

Before you think about how to store wine, consider where to store wine. Ask yourself the following:
•    What type of wine do you need to store? Is it fine wine?
•    How much wine do you have and how long will you store it?
•    Do you plan to keep it in your own home or a wine cellar?
•    How will your wine display fit into your everyday life?

Once you plan to store a bottle of wine rather than consume it immediately, you need to pay attention to the proper temperature, light, and humidity guidelines.

2. Avoid direct sunlight and find a dry, dark storage space.
It’s best to store wine in a dark location. Sunlight can cause sulphur-containing amino acids to oxidise, which in turn can change the flavour of the wine. Store your wines away from light, including direct sunlight and fluorescent fixtures. If your wine has a funny smell, ultraviolet rays have likely caused the wine to become “lightstruck.”

White wine that is stored in clear bottles is especially susceptible to direct sunlight because the glass offers less protection than darker bottles. Be aware that incandescent light can also impact the integrity of the wine.

The key takeaway should be to store your wine in a dark and dry place to preserve its great taste. If you can’t keep a bottle entirely out of light, keep it inside of a box or wrapped lightly in cloth. If you opt for a cabinet to age your wine, be sure to select one with solid or UV-resistant doors. A wine storage 

3. Store wine at a consistent temperature and humidity.
Keep the temperature and humidity consistent. If there’s one crucial tip to remember, it’s this: store your wine at the right temperature and humidity! The best temperature to store wine is between 7.5 and 18 degrees. Any temperature above 21 can cause the wine to spoil.

Aim for 13 degrees, but any temperature between 7.5 and 18 will do. The humidity level for storing your wine should hover around 70 percent to avoid dried out corks, which can allow air into the wine. Humidity higher than 70 percent can cause mould.

While it’s important to get the right environment, it’s equally important to keep the air quality the same. Try to avoid fluctuating temperatures caused by external weather or heating and cooling systems. The more constant the environment, the longer the wine will last.

Humidity tip: Not sure how to measure humidity levels? Stop by your local hardware store and pick up a hygrometer for around $20.

4. Don’t store corked wine bottles in an upright position.
It’s best to store corked wine on its side. While it may seem convenient to stand a few bottles above your cupboard to save space, it’s crucial to store wine on its side if it has a cork. Upright storage can cause the cork to dry out, which can lead to oxygen exposure and spoiled wine. Keep the cork moist at all times. The best way to store wine on its side is to use boxes for storage. Moving boxes are readily available at every Kennards Storage facility.

5. Be aware that most wine has an expiration date.
Most wine can last a couple years in storage. Like we mentioned earlier, not all wine is meant to age. The majority of wine won’t last more than a year or two. While there may not be an expiration date on the bottle, it’s best to consume most wine within a relatively short period.

If you are looking for a wine that will get better with age and last for ten years or more, find select varieties with a specific balance of tannins and sugars from a knowledgeable wine vendor.

How Long Can Red and White Wine Last?
•    Most bottled red wine can only spend up to three years in storage.
•    Most bottled white wine can only be stored for one to two years.

6. Avoid strong odours that can taint the wine.
Wine breathes through the cork, so be careful with odours. While it may seem convenient, it’s best not to store wine in the kitchen. Wine breathes through the porous cork, so you should store wine bottles away from strong odours like food or trash. Odours can permeate the cork and taint the wine.

Keep corked wine away from foods like garlic in the pantry and away from paint cans in the basement. Find a designated spot for a wine rack that is in a dark corner or closet away from cleaning products and other potential contaminants for best results.

As you can see there are no very many perfect spots in the home or office for wine storage. Many people and collectors are turning towards self storage options for wine. There are many wine storage ideas out there. Nothing beats having easy access to purpose built wine storage cabinets. 

7. Keep wine out of the fridge long term.
Wine shouldn’t be stored in the fridge more than a couple days. Storing wine in the fridge is okay for the short term, but the vibrations can damage wine over time. Not only will you expose the wine to odours by keeping it in the fridge for more than a day, but the vibrations from the compressor can harm the wine, too.

Fridge vibrations can alter the wine’s chemical structure and disturb the sediment at the bottom of some wines. To combat these pitfalls, store wines away from large, loud household devices such as the washer, dryer, or rooms that receive frequent foot traffic.

After the wine has been opened, white wine should last in the fridge for up to three days. This period can be pushed a few days longer if you have a wine pump and can remove most of the air and reseal the bottle. Red wine should last at room temperature outside the fridge for a few days.

8. Once the wine is in storage, leave it there until you want to drink it.
Keep wine in a stationary position until you’re ready to drink it. Just like fridge vibrations can damage wine, so can moving it around too often. Picking up bottles of wine and putting them back on their side will negatively impact the wine.

Build a storage system that will allow you to remove a single bottle of wine without needing to disturb the others. For this reason, it’s best not to stack wine on top of each other or store them one in front of the other on a shelf.

Kennards Storage takes this problem seriously and has come up with the perfect answer. Kennards has purpose built wine storage cabinets in different sizes that are secured, temperature controlled and easy access. The easy access is important. Having a get together, simply visit your wine storage at a Kennards Storage. Access your individual wine cellar at any time or  day of the week.

Your wine is valuable and treasured asset, too important to risk being ruined by poor cellaring. Kennards Wine Storage provides the ideal environment for long term storage to help it mature to its full potential. Our private cellars are ideal for all wine collectors, investors, wine merchants, restaurants and boutique wineries. We have a range of sizes so you can grow (or shrink) your collection easily. From as little as 8 cases up too many hundreds, all collectors are catered for.

Obtaining a wine storage space is easier than you think. Simply go here to search online.

You will find the Kennards Self Storage website is very easy and quick to use. The best thing is the website is very transparent. No hidden prices or endless forms. Firstly, find a location near you that has wine storage then easily view different size options. We measure by cases x 12 bottles beginning with a small wine cabinet of 8 cases. Equalling 96 bottles. Within a couple of clicks you can then reserve and rent a cellar. The rental period is by the month, there are no leases or long term commitments. The website also has our online box shop that has our whole range of moving boxes which includes the wine storage box that fits the wine storage cabinet perfectly.

Once completed you will have access to your own wine storage space. You can also purchase wine online and get it delivered to the Kennards location and we will accept the delivery on your behalf and let you know.