The story below is from our November/December 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
From temperature and humidity control to wine racks and cellaring tips, discover the secrets to ensuring every sip is a delight. Cheers to a well-preserved wine journey!
Wine collection was something I grew up with. My grandparents and parents both had cellars, and they filled them with cases from special trips over the years so that every birthday and holiday was marked with the presentation of a special bottle, brought out with a fine layer of dust and a story of its provenance. The memories shared as we enjoyed the wine made the experience even more special than the wine itself.
So it wasn’t too much of a surprise when I married a man who loved wine. When we met, we were in our twenties and he was cobbling together part-time jobs working at a wine shop and in fine dining. On the weekends he sometimes picked up gigs on wine festival circuits, pouring for Barboursville all over the state. With these jobs, he was able to purchase bottles at cost, or in the case of wine festivals, get compensated in a case or two for his time. All of this meant that by the time we got married, we had to find a place to accommodate a wine collection that couldn’t simply be tucked into the corner of the kitchen. We needed an actual room, one with the right conditions so that the carefully accumulated bottles could age gracefully–as they were made to do.
Over the years, we rented and then bought a home, and our storage solutions have evolved. What started out as a cobbled together “shelving unit” (aka cardboard boxes stacked carefully together) in the basement, has slowly turned into the beginnings of a proper wine cave in what was apparently once a coal room in our hundred-year-old house. Slowly picking up solid wood racks to fit the walls and investing in some wine-specific refrigerators have helped ensure that our collection can hang out safely without damaging the goods.
If you have ever purchased a case or more of wine, you might have wondered how to make the best of your living situation to keep your bottles until you’re ready for them. Since a proper renovation project to create the dream wine cellar isn’t always on the cards, here are some tips and points to consider if you’re looking to care for your current collection working with the space you’re currently in.
Why Collect Wine?
If you drink wine regularly, it’s much more cost effective to purchase your favorite bottles in a case (12 bottles) rather than at individual unit prices at your grocery store. Plus, it’s an experience that can be recreated: Going to wineries and tasting with friends are memories that can quite literally be bottled and purchased by the case to be enjoyed in the future.
Ideally, find an independent bottle shop where you can chat with a staff person to put together a case that will cover the range of needs for most wine drinkers. In our house, we try to always have a few wines that are immediately drinkable; gift bottles at-the-ready as a thank you or hostess gift; a range for gatherings and celebrations (for us this means bubbles and a couple of reds and whites); and finally, a few special bottles meant to age that can be enjoyed in five, 10 or upwards of 20 years.
But even if you aren’t planning ahead beyond next Friday’s happy hour, keeping a case of your favorite rosé on hand is never a bad idea.
Storage 101
The number one thing to know about storage is that you want steady conditions that don’t fluctuate dramatically. This means that you’re looking for a place that is dark, still, cool and with some humidity control. For these reasons, in most living spaces your best bet will probably be an indoor cupboard or closet, like the one you’ve been dumping off-season clothing in under the stairs.
Wine aging is a chemical reaction where a tiny, controlled amount of oxygen is introduced to the wine through a cork (or some of the modern screw caps, that are made to mimic the permeability of traditional cork). While not all wines are meant to age–let alone steadily improve over decades–the ones that are typically have either high acidity or high tannins (the astringent “drying” sensation you get from certain big red wines) which help preserve the wine over time. The length of time means that the more controlled you can make the environment around the wine, the more reliable the final result will be.
Wine coolers are ideal, and can be found in a range of sizes capable of holding as little as six to as many as 200+ bottles at a time, accommodating whatever your need may be. A wine fridge is better than a typical kitchen refrigerator, which can be too cold for standard bottle needs. Most wines want to stay at a consistent temperature somewhere between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
Humidity, in addition to the temperature, is a variable that needs careful consideration for proper wine storage. Moisture promotes mold growth, and is therefore one of the top enemies to aging wine. If humidity is too low, it can cause the cork to dry out and shrink, exposing the wine inside the bottle to the air. When this happens, the wine will oxidize, creating a distinct vinegar odor and losing its color.
The Thing About Basements
Full disclosure: We have had to work with unfinished basements because well, it’s what we have. This comes with some risk that we’ve had to navigate, specifically monitoring areas that might get water or moisture during big rains, and avoiding areas that might get any changing light throughout the day.
If your basement is unfinished or not well insulated, it might not suit your project. However, in some cases, you’ll find conditions are close enough to work. So start by testing out the space with a temperature and humidity gauge, which can be found for $10 or less at most big box stores. We also have a dehumidifier to help, and keep a wine cooler for some of our special (long-term) bottles, since a longer aging process makes controlling all the different marginal variables more important.
On Display
Wine requires square footage, so depending on where you live, this might mean that your only option is one of your living spaces. Depending on your interests in aging wine or just having a couple of cases on hand for parties and weekly dinners, you will still need at least a bookshelf’s worth of area to put the bottles. As long as you choose a space that is protected from any prolonged sunlight, this shouldn’t be a problem. And truthfully, it will keep your bottles top of mind so nothing is forgotten and left past its drinking prime.
There are tons of cute wine storage units out there, but what should you be looking for? The most essential element is a quality material. The last thing you want is a rack that will only warp or buckle under the weight of the bottles after a few months. Look for wood or metal over particle board, and ideally you want a rack that has the bottle angled somewhere between horizontal and 45 degrees with the cork facing down. This keeps the liquid on the cork, preventing it from drying out and letting air in.
One fun thing to note about champagne: since the pressure on the inside of the bottle is higher than that of a still wine, it is not essential that champagne is stored on its side. A cool, dark environment that doesn’t fluctuate is, once again, more important than anything else!
The story above is from our November/December 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!