How To Store Your Wine Collection
Now that you have started your wine collection, it's time to learn how to store it properly.
According to wikiHow, the first and most important step is to keep your wine in a dark area. Direct exposure to the UV rays in sunlight will ruin it. If you don't have a basement or cellar that you can use for this purpose, keep your wine in a box until you're ready to drink it.
The temperature your wine is stored at should be constantly between 54 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Going below this temperature is fine, as long as the wine doesn't freeze. However, above 75 degrees, the wine will oxidize and go bad quickly. According to All About Wine, a temperature between 59 and 66 degrees is ideal for storing red wines, and dry white wines are better at 46 to 57 degrees.
Common wisdom says that you should store your bottles on their sides, in order to prevent your corks from drying out and allowing air into your wine. However, wine expert Rick Lewis disagrees, claiming that since a cork is impervious to water, it cannot dry out.
If you store your wine in an unfinished basement, make sure that the surrounding area isn't musty or moldy. Strong smells will go right through your cork and get into the wine.
Cellar Aiders says that you should store your wine in an area free from the vibrations of household appliances and local traffic. Vibration can cause the sediment from the wine to be stirred up.
The idea that all wines improve with age is a misconception. Some turn bad and taste like vinegar if you store them for too long. According to Cellar Notes, more than 90% of all wines produced are designed to be consumed within a year or two.
In general, the more expensive the wine, the more likely it is to improve with age. For instance, most red wines that cost more than $25 a bottle can benefit from five to seven years of sitting in your cellar, but you will get diminishing returns beyond this unless you have a really high-quality bottle of wine on your hands. A Beaujolais Nouveau wine, on the other hand, should be drunk almost immediately. When in doubt, ask your local wine vendor.
You can keep white wine in the fridge for a day or two after uncorking it, but don't try this with red wine, which should be served at room temperature. After a day in the fridge, it will lose most of its flavor and taste like cold, alcoholic beet soup.