Tips for Cellaring, Storing, and Aging Wine

Any wine enthusiast knows that the most enjoyable part about wine is starting a collection of your personal favorites. However, it does not just end at buying; you also need to know how to store and age the wine. If preserved correctly, wine can last for decades, increasing its taste. Similarly, if stored poorly, you could ruin even the best wine. 

Aging wine requires precise conditions to be fulfilled and involves a lot of knowledge and practice. Below, we talk about everything you need to know about wine and some tips for cellaring, storing, and aging wine. 

Tips for Cellaring, Storing, and Aging Wine

When aging wine, you need to be careful about how you go about it, as a mistake may ruin an excellent wine. However, if done right, an excellent wine can turn into the perfect wine. Here are some tips for cellaring, storing, and aging wine so that you get the most out of your wine. 

Know What to Age

You first need to know which kind of wine should be aged and which type should not be. Many cheaper wines are meant to be drunk on the spot and are not meant for aging. Similarly, most white wines were made to be consumed young. Before choosing which wine to store and age, you need to do your research; otherwise, you will waste time and wine. 

Some wines that you can mature include:

• Pinot Noir (10 years)
• Aglianico (20 years)
• Sangiovese (17 years)
• Merlot (17 years)
• White Rioja (15 years)
• Pinot Gris (3 years)
• Chardonnay (10 years) 

Some wines you absolutely cannot age are: 

• Pinot Grigio
• Rosé
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Champagne
• Vermouth
• Nouveau wines

Choose The Right Cellar

The next thing you need to know is where to store your wine. You do not necessarily need a cellar in your basement. You can choose from two options if you are a first-time wine ager.

1. Wine Cabinet: Wine Cabinets are a cheaper alternative to wine rooms or coolers. You can store up to 50 bottles in a wine cabinet, perfect for a collection. It keeps your wine in the dark, helping it ferment. A wine cabinet is also easily accessible and easy to handle without taking up much space. 
2. Wine Cooler: A wine fridge that can keep your wine cool and dry, as low as 50˚F. Such systems offer precise control over the temperature and humidity, leaving little room for anything to go wrong. Although expensive, it provides the perfect opportunity to age a wine perfectly. 

Store Them Horizontally: 

Wine bottles are known for their corks. The problem with corks is that the cork dries up and starts to shrink if the bottle is kept vertical, letting air seep into the bottle. The wine then begins oxidation and gets ruined. 

Keeping the bottle horizontal ensures that the cork stays moist and provides maximum space to store your bottles. However, if you have screw-top wine bottles, you do not necessarily need to have them stored horizontally. 

Know The Right Conditions

During the aging process, you need to keep a close eye on the conditions you set. 

Temperature

The best temperature to store wine is between 45˚F to 65˚F. The exact temperature depends on the type of wine you wish to age. Stronger red wines should be kept at the warmer end of the rage mentioned before, while lighter red wines can go as below as 55˚F. White wines are usually kept colder than red wines, between 45˚F to 55˚F.

The age of the wine is another thing to consider as well. The older the wine, the warmer it should be stored, between 58˚F to 65˚F. Additionally, keep a close eye on the temperature to make sure there are no fluctuations in the temperature. This task is made easier by using a wine cellar instead of a wine cabinet. 

Humidity

The cork on the bottle tends to dry up and shrink, causing air to seep into the bottle. High humidity is required to perfect the oxidation of the wine. Hence, wine should be stored at around 65-70% of the proper humidity level.

Light

Wine must be kept in a dark and undisturbed place. This is because the Ultra-violet (UV) rays can heat the wine and cause specific chemical reactions that lead to undesirable products that can ruin the wine. Some main products formed include dimethyl sulfide, which causes a fishy smell, and hydrogen sulfide, which causes the wine to smell like rotten eggs and alters the taste. 

This is why wine often comes in dark-colored bottles, as it prevents too much light from entering the bottle.

Opening an Aged Wine

Once your wine has aged, you need to know how to open the bottle. After spending so long to age wine and doing it so carefully, you would not want to ruin it because you did not know how to open it. With proper technique, you will find that the task is not so difficult. 

1. A few days before opening your wine, store the wine in a vertical position. Wine may develop sediment as it ages, so allowing those sediments to settle down before opening it is essential.
2. Choose the suitable cork extractor. A corkscrew with a longer and grooved shaft can help you easily open the wine.
3. Carefully and slowly pour the wine into your wine glass or decanter. Take the wine glass in one hand and pour with the other, keeping the neck of the bottle in the same position all the way. Once you start to see the sediments at the bottom, stop pouring. If you are not finishing the entire bottle, a decanter is the way to go to prevent further oxidation of the wine by keeping it open.

To Sum Up

Wine aging is a delicate but rewarding task reserved for those who genuinely appreciate a good wine. However, not all wine should be aged. If you are a beginner, start small with a few types of wine. Follow the tips for cellaring, storing, and aging wine, and your skills will grow with time, like a finely aged wine. 

Written by Bobby Davidson

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