Storing Wine For The Festive Season

With Christmas just around the corner, many of us are stocking up on our favourite tipples for the festive season. This the perfect time to stockpile wine and spirits, as most places have some great bulk buy offers on. However, one of the biggest worries about buying lots of our favourite drinks, is how do we store it all?

The last thing you want is to get to Christmas Day to find your best bottle of wine doesn’t taste so good when you finally crack it open. If you are guilty of putting every bottle you buy on your trusty wine rack or storing boxes of the good stuff in the garage; then you could potentially be doing damage to your drinks.

To ensure you get the best flavour and experience with every bottle, we’re sharing exactly how you should be storing wine for the festive season.

Lay Bottles Down

The reason wine racks are designed to store your wine bottles horizontally is actually because that is the best way to store a good bottle. Lying a bottle of wine down will stop the cork from drying out. If a cork does dry out, it can result in the bottle leaking air and the wine inside being spoilt through oxidisation.

Furthermore, the dry cork can be crumbly and make it much harder to remove the cork in one piece. You don’t want to be fishing out crumbs of cork from your wine glass.

Invest In A Wine Fridge

Having a separate fridge just for your wine might seem like an extravagance, but they are vital for keeping your drinks in the best condition. For most of us, a wine cellar isn’t an option, but a wine fridge is the next best thing. They are specifically designed to store wine at the perfect temperature, which is essential.

If wine is kept too warm, it can speed up the ageing process. Sub-Zero wine fridges cleverly control the air temperature and protect against humidity, heat, light and vibration.

Avoid Sunlight And Odours

If you are buying expensive bottles of wine to enjoy during the festive season, it is so important you store them correctly. They need to be taken care of properly if you want them to be in the best condition when Christmas rolls around. Avoid keeping wine anywhere with sunlight or strong smells, such as in the garage near the car. Wine should also never be kept near a radiator or anywhere that can become warm.

If you don’t have a wine fridge, then store your wine in the coolest place in the house. It won’t have the same effect as a wine cellar or fridge but will go some way to keeping your wines flavoursome.

Serve Wine Properly

When it is finally time to drink your favourite wine, make sure you serve it at its best.

Most people serve white wine straight from the fridge, but actually, it is best to take it out of the fridge and open it around one hour before serving. This gives the aromas a chance to come through and for the wine to breathe.

For red wine, it’s actually good to put it in your wine fridge for 30 minutes before serving, so that the temperature drops slightly. Yes, this does sound like madness, but red wines should be served at room temperature, which should be between 16-18C. However, so often our cosy homes are much warmer than that. It is best not to serve wine that’s too warm as the taste can lose its depth and body.

Sparkling wines and Champagne are best served straight from the wine fridge to keep them crisp and bright.

So, will these tips change any of the ways you store your drinks? To find out more about our wine coolers and fridges, get in touch with the team today. We are arranging virtual tours of our showrooms via ZOOM or phone.