Some Advice for Best Wine Aging
There is nothing like a good wine cellar to store your favorite wines, provided the right conditions are present.
Indeed, wine needs to be kept in specific conditions of temperature, light and humidity.
The right temperature conditions The cellar should be relatively fresh, ideally at a temperature of 54F, but it is also possible to use a cellar between 50 and 58F.
The most important thing is that the ambient temperature does not undergo changes of more than 10F.
You should therefore regularly check the temperature by placing a thermometer in the cellar.
An important point to remember is that, the deeper the cellar, the fresher it is and the less it undergoes thermal variations.
The ideal humidity In terms of humidity, the ideal is about 70%.
Keep a hygrometer in your cellar to check the humidity from time to time.
To maintain a constant level of humidity, it is advisable to have a clay soil or gravels on the ground.
Below 70% of humidity, the corks may dry out and no longer provide a good isolation from the outside.
In addition, some mold may appear and give the wine a musty odor.
Good ventilation is also necessary to prevent this problem.
Also note that the wine, which must remain in contact with the cork, can pick up odors from the surrounding air.
Therefore it must be kept alone, away from other products such as cleaning products, paints and solvents.
How to store the bottles? Wine bottles must be stored horizontally.
It is recommended to use metal shelves or terra cotta, because these materials are more resistant to moisture.
The wine must be kept free of vibration.
In this respect, it may be useful to fit some rubber pads on the shelves feet to reduce vibrations from the outside.
Finally, a wine cellar should be as dark as possible.
You should avoid direct lighting and use low-power light bulbs.
Finally, wine lovers who are not fortunate enough to own a cellar may opt for a wine cabinet in their kitchen or dining room for storing their wine in good conditions.
This can be done inside a wooden cupboard, away from sources of heat, with a bucket of water inside.
Another great solution is to use a refrigerated wine cellar or wine cooler.
The advantage of these devices is that they are designed to offer the best conditions for wine aging, in terms of temperature, humidity and light.
If all of this is not available, it is better to fall back on wines ready for consumption, which do not need aging.
Indeed, a bottle stored in poor conditions will suffer: instead of getting a nice, homogeneous, complex and elegant wine, you will get a wobbly result, jostled with a disjointed architecture.
Some recommendations before opening a bottle
Indeed, wine needs to be kept in specific conditions of temperature, light and humidity.
The right temperature conditions The cellar should be relatively fresh, ideally at a temperature of 54F, but it is also possible to use a cellar between 50 and 58F.
The most important thing is that the ambient temperature does not undergo changes of more than 10F.
You should therefore regularly check the temperature by placing a thermometer in the cellar.
An important point to remember is that, the deeper the cellar, the fresher it is and the less it undergoes thermal variations.
The ideal humidity In terms of humidity, the ideal is about 70%.
Keep a hygrometer in your cellar to check the humidity from time to time.
To maintain a constant level of humidity, it is advisable to have a clay soil or gravels on the ground.
Below 70% of humidity, the corks may dry out and no longer provide a good isolation from the outside.
In addition, some mold may appear and give the wine a musty odor.
Good ventilation is also necessary to prevent this problem.
Also note that the wine, which must remain in contact with the cork, can pick up odors from the surrounding air.
Therefore it must be kept alone, away from other products such as cleaning products, paints and solvents.
How to store the bottles? Wine bottles must be stored horizontally.
It is recommended to use metal shelves or terra cotta, because these materials are more resistant to moisture.
The wine must be kept free of vibration.
In this respect, it may be useful to fit some rubber pads on the shelves feet to reduce vibrations from the outside.
Finally, a wine cellar should be as dark as possible.
You should avoid direct lighting and use low-power light bulbs.
Finally, wine lovers who are not fortunate enough to own a cellar may opt for a wine cabinet in their kitchen or dining room for storing their wine in good conditions.
This can be done inside a wooden cupboard, away from sources of heat, with a bucket of water inside.
Another great solution is to use a refrigerated wine cellar or wine cooler.
The advantage of these devices is that they are designed to offer the best conditions for wine aging, in terms of temperature, humidity and light.
If all of this is not available, it is better to fall back on wines ready for consumption, which do not need aging.
Indeed, a bottle stored in poor conditions will suffer: instead of getting a nice, homogeneous, complex and elegant wine, you will get a wobbly result, jostled with a disjointed architecture.
Some recommendations before opening a bottle
- Allow two to three weeks of rest if the wine has traveled.
- When you have the choice, it is better not to use a carafe, because it creates a sharp blow when the drink comes in contact with air.
If the wine needs some unwinding, the ideal is to open the bottle six to twelve hours in advance. - If you want to keep an open bottle, it is important to evacuate the air - with an air pump.
This is often full of surprises: some wines may be best the day after.
