When it comes to wine storage there is a reason wine has been stored as it has for centuries in the wine caves and deep underground cellars; as in order to get the ideal wine, you should have the ideal conditions met and met with consistency:

• Cool
• Dark
• Humid
• Still

While it doesn’t take a master’s degree to store wine there are some key things that you must keep in mind in order to ensure your wines survival on the long-term and be able to achieve the finest aging.

The imperative when it comes to storing wine effectively is what I call the rule of 4:

• Keep it Cool
• Keep it Dark
• Keep it Still
• Keep it Sideways

Keep it Cool
If you don’t store your wine at the right temperature it will destroy an otherwise great bottle of wine. For optimal storage temperature you should be right around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. You want to make sure that these temperatures are consistent ones as well as temperature fluctuations are going to do the same thing as excessive heat.

You should also be looking to a higher level of humidity and don’t let this confuse you with a higher temperature. When you have a low humidity it can allow the corks to shrink and thus allow oxygen in your wine. The chemical reaction with this is the oxidation of your wine. When wine is oxidized it will turn brown and develop both off-aromas and off-flavors resembling that of cough syrup. White wines can be affected more and quicker than red wines but given enough time both will be affected negatively. You should go for a humidity level of between 65-75 percent.

Keep it Dark
You’ll find that most all of the colored glasses bottles of wine have the UV filter incorporated into the glass; however, don’t be under the misconception that this will actually offer bull UV protection because it doesn’t. If a wine is kept in a consistent direct light than it will affect the wines flavor in a significant manger. The reason for this is that it makes the wine age prematurely. Again white wines will be affected more quickly as they are more sensitive to light; however, red wine will have the same problem if they are subjected to excessive light as well.

Keep it Still
You’ll find that many people will simply put their wine in a wine rack on top of the refrigerator whether it be a space issue, they think that it looks good or for any other reason. This is bad for a few reasons:

• You run the risk of the bottles falling out and breaking every time you open the fridge
• Heat
• Direct light
• Vibrations

When it comes to constant vibrations of the refrigerator itself and those of the appliances around it will agitate the wine and will keep the sediment from getting settled in a red wine. If there is a constant or consistent vibration it will completely wreck a wine.

Keep it Sideways
There is definitely a reason besides some sort of odd aesthetic reason that a wine is stored on its side. When a wine is stored on its side it works to keep the cork moist and staves off the wines biggest enemy which is oxygen. When oxygen is allowed to get into a wine it starts the chemical reaction allowing the wine to oxidize and the whole wine will begin to spoil from the aroma to the flavor to the color.

You need to work to find both a cold and a dark place to store your wine. Heat and light are one of the best ways to destroy a wine without taking very much time to do so. Basements would be one of the best options; however, this isn’t an option for everyone and if this should be the case than you’ll want to look at investing in a wine refrigerator. You can find one at several different price points and sizes to fit just about any need.

Storing wine isn’t anything hard; you simply have to remember keeping it cool, dark as well as still and sideways. You can store with confidence for the long-term.