Dark and Cool

Over time, wine can be prematurely aged when exposed to light, which particularly affects clear bottles, but ultraviolet light has been found to affect dark colored glass as well. The light can give the wine an unpleasant aroma and ruin it.

 

The temperature of your stored wine is the most significant element of all. White wines are affected more so than reds, but temperature impacts all varieties. The “ideal” storage temperature for most wines is between 50-55 degrees F. (10-12 deg. C.) What is most important is to ensure the wine is not subject to large continuous temperature swings. A constant temperature of 40-65 degrees is satisfactory and gradual fluctuations of temperature, due to the changing of the seasons, should not affect the wine. If a suitable location is not available, wine refrigerators are available. These refrigerators are designed to operate at a higher temperature than the normal home refrigerator and maintain an ideal wine storage temperature. Wine refrigerators can range in price from a “Haier” 12 bottle table top wine cellar for $149.00, a “Franklin” 20 bottle wine refrigerator that goes for about $270.00, up to several thousand dollars for customized “Sub-Zero” and other high end units. The limit is whatever your wine cellar and pocket book will allow. There are also kits you can purchase and you can turn your spare closet into your own wine cellar. Rosehill Wine Cellars Inc. provides a “Design it yourself” modular storage layout that can be downloaded online.