The key to storing wine is the external environment in which it is stored. No one wants to spend a fortune and the “scent” of cooked raisins wafts all over the house.
In order to better store wine, you don’t need to renovate an expensive cellar, all you need is the right way to store wine. The following is a detailed analysis of 5 points of temperature, humidity, exposure, vibration, and odor in the environment.
Temperature is one of the important factors in storing wine, it is recommended to store wine at 12-15 degrees Celsius.
If the temperature is too low, the tartaric acid in the wine will crystallize into tartrate which will not redissolve, either stick to the rim of the wine glass or stick to the cork, but it is safe to drink. Proper temperature control can prevent tartaric acid crystallization.
If the temperature is too high, at a certain temperature, the wine starts to deteriorate, but no one knows this definite number.
Equally important is maintaining temperature stability. The composition of the wine will be affected by the change of temperature, and the cork will also expand and contract with the change of temperature, especially the old cork with poor elasticity.
Humidity as far as possible between 50%-80%
Too wet the wine label will be blurred, too dry the cork will crack and cause the wine to leak. Proper ventilation is also necessary, otherwise it will breed mold and bacteria.
For cork-sealed wine, in order to maintain the humidity of the cork and the good sealing effect of the wine bottle, avoid air entering and causing the wine to oxidize and mature. Wine bottles should always be stored flat to allow contact between the wine and the cork. When wine bottles are stored vertically, there is a gap between the wine and the cork. Therefore, it is best to place the wine straight, and the level of the wine needs to reach at least the neck of the bottle.
Exposure is also an important factor,It is recommended to store wine in shady conditions.
A photochemical reaction is involved here—a light column, in which riboflavin reacts with amino acids to produce hydrogen sulfide and mercaptans, which give off an onion- and cabbage-like odor.
Long-term ultraviolet radiation is not conducive to the storage of wine. Ultraviolet rays will destroy the tannins in red wines. Losing tannins means that red wines lose their ability to age.
Champagne and sparkling wines are very sensitive to light. This is because wines aged on too much lees are high in amino acids, so the bottles are mostly dark.
A photochemical reaction is involved here—a light column, in which riboflavin reacts with amino acids to produce hydrogen sulfide and mercaptans, which give off an onion- and cabbage-like odor.
Long-term ultraviolet radiation is not conducive to the storage of wine. Ultraviolet rays will destroy the tannins in red wines. Losing tannins means that red wines lose their ability to age.
Champagne and sparkling wines are very sensitive to light. This is because wines aged on too much lees are high in amino acids, so the bottles are mostly dark.
Vibration can affect wine storage in many ways
So it is recommended to place the wine in a stable position.
First of all, the vibration will accelerate the oxidation and evaporation of phenolic substances in the wine, and make the sediment in the bottle in an unstable state, breaking the beautiful taste of the wine;
Secondly, frequent violent vibrations will increase the temperature in the bottle sharply, planting the hidden danger of top stopper;
Furthermore, the unstable external environment will also increase the chance of the bottle being broken.
The odor in the storage environment should not be too strong
The smell of the wine storage environment can easily drift into the bottle through the pores of the wine stopper (cork), which will gradually affect the aroma of the wine.
Spiral cellar
The spiral wine cellar is located underground. The underground is better than the ground for natural conditions such as temperature, humidity and anti-vibration, providing the best storage environment for fine wines.
In addition, the spiral private wine cellar has a large number of wines, and you can watch the wine in the wine cellar while walking up the stairs.
Imagine walking down this spiral staircase, chatting and admiring these wines as you walk, and even grabbing a bottle of wine to taste, just thinking about it is wonderful.
home
This is the more common storage method. Wine can be stored at room temperature, but not for many years.
It is not recommended to put a row of wine on top of the refrigerator, which can easily be rewarmed in the kitchen.
It is recommended to use a temperature and humidity meter to see where in the home is the best place to store wine. Try to choose a place where the temperature doesn’t change too much and there is less light. Also, try to avoid unnecessary shaking, and keep away from generators, dryers, and under stairs.
Storing wine underwater
The way to store wine underwater has been popular for a while.
Wines left over from the Second World War were discovered in the sea by experts before, and after decades, the taste of these wines has reached the top standard.
Later, a French winemaker put 120 bottles of wine in the Mediterranean to see if underwater storage would be better than a wine cellar.
More than a dozen wineries in Spain store their wines underwater, and reports indicate a slightly salty taste in wines with corks.
wine cabinet
Compared with the above options, this method is much more flexible and economical.
The wine wine cabinet is used to preserve wine, and has the characteristics of constant temperature and constant humidity. Like the thermostatic properties of a wine cellar, a wine wine cabinet is an ideal environment for wine preservation.
Wine cabinets are available in single and double temperature
Single temperature means that there is only one temperature zone in the wine cabinet, and the internal temperature is the same.
Double temperature means that the wine cabinet is divided into two temperature zones: the upper part is the low temperature zone, and the temperature control range of the low temperature zone is generally 5-12 degrees Celsius; the lower part is the high temperature zone, and the temperature control range of the high temperature zone is 12-22 degrees Celsius.
There are also direct-cooled and air-cooled wine cabinets
The direct cooling compressor wine cabinet is a natural heat conduction refrigeration method. The low temperature natural convection on the surface of the evaporator reduces the temperature in the box, so that the temperature difference in the box tends to be the same, but the temperature cannot be completely uniform, and the temperature of the part close to the cold source point low, and the temperature of the part far from the cold source is high. Compared with the air-cooled compressor wine cabinet, the direct-cooled compressor wine cabinet will be relatively quiet due to less fan stirring.
The air-cooled compressor wine cabinet isolates the cold source from the air in the box, and uses a fan to extract the cold air from the cold source and blow it into the box and stir it. The built-in fan promotes air flow and virtuous circulation, ensuring uniform and stable temperatures in different spaces in the wine cabinet.