Storing Wine

Several factors affect the condition of wine over time, so it's important to keep these in mind when thinking about where and how to store it. Wine should be protected from its greatest enemy, oxygen in the air. If the cork dries out and eventually shrinks so that it no longer acts as an airtight seal, it may start to allow oxygen into the wine and spoil it. For this reason, a wine bottle is traditionally stored on its side, so that the wine keeps the cork thoroughly damp and swollen to fill the bottleneck. Screwcapped bottles can be stored at any angle, however.The temperature at which wine is stored is also important. The temperature should never fall below 25º, when the lightest wines freeze. Avoid temperatures of 81º and over, above which a wine's more volatile compounds may be spoiled. Ideal wine storage temperature tends to be 50º and 59º. as long as the temperature does not fluctuate too dramatically causing the wine to expand and contract rapidly, with a risk of letting air in. Humidity also matters. If wine is stored in too dry an atmosphere for several years, the corks can dry out and stop being an effective seal.