Wine Storage Overview

Whether you’re a “Sideways” (wine movie) aficionado who insists on a perfect Pinot Noir or just a weekend wine tasting Vino Enthusiast, a very important, but sometimes overlooked phase of the overall wine experience, is proper bottle storage of your wine. This becomes even more important with expensive wines you are saving for that very special occasion.   Storage techniques depend on the type of wine, the length of time you want to store it, and if the bottle has been opened or not. Few things finish the evening like a good red wine and a properly prepared steak, followed by a real Portugal “Port” and piece of chocolate. That said, few things leave as bad a taste in your mouth as a wine that went bad because of improper storage. There are some basic principles in storing wine that can help turn even the novice wine consumer into an “aging” master. The taste of a red wine will change as it ages or “matures.”   White wines rarely need to be aged to arrive at the taste the wine producer is trying to obtain. Therefore, most wine cellar inventories are full of reds and few whites. The following storage rules can apply to either, and differences will be noted throughout. To ensure your wine experience is a pleasant one, you must decide what type of wine you enjoy, which is a very personal taste, and from there decide on the best way to store the wine, before and after opening the bottle, and to quote The Everything Wine Book, “Drink wine with good and appropriate food and good and appropriate people.”