Wine is more than just delicious to sip on with dinner or enjoy on the patio with your loved ones – it’s also an investment. You purchase certain wines to drink immediately, some to drink later, and some that you plan to hold on to for years to come. In order to store wine for a longer period, it’s essential to create an environment where your wines can grow old and thrive. Follow these 3 tips for properly storing your wine and you’ll never have to worry about the condition of your favorite bottles!
Stay Cool
It’s hot outside now and if you don’t have air conditioning or a temperature-controlled wine cellar, it can get hot inside too. Heat is wine’s number one enemy and you’ll want to avoid it if you want to age your wines to their peak drinking years. Any temperature above 70 degrees will age a wine much more quickly than is desirable; therefore, you should ideally store your wines between 45 and 65 degrees. We suggest keeping whites and reds at a perfect 55 degrees, whenever possible.
Expanding your collection during the Summer months can take more planning. Wineries are leery of any extended transit time for wine shipments in warmer weather (or colder weather in Winter). We want to protect your investment and make sure our wines arrive at your doorstep safely, on time, and in good condition. So, we’ve just started offering overnight shipping for the price of regular ground shipping so that you can sip and savor, or cellar, your favorite Baer wines throughout the Summer! That means if you place an order with us any weekday before noon Pacific Time, we’ll have it to you the next day. All you have to do is fill your cart, select ground shipping, and then enter code OVERNIGHT at checkout.
Stay Consistent
If heat is wine’s first enemy, extreme and/or frequent changes in temperature are its second. Large swings in temperature have the ability to not only cook the wine but also expand and contract the liquid inside the bottle potentially causing the cork to be pushed out and leakage to ensue. To avoid this pitfall, pick a space in your home where the temperature is consistent. Humidity matters only in extreme cases. A humidifier in very dry weather conditions and a dehumidifier in very humid conditions should do the trick to keep your wine storage space safe (between 50 and 80 percent). Consistency is key, but don’t be too worried about small temperature changes.
Stay Sideways and Still
Store bottles on their side so that wine is always in contact with the cork. This technique, referred to as ‘laying down’ your wine, should keep the cork from drying out. A dry cork will shrink and can expose the wine to unwanted oxygen or other elements. Laying wine down also allows room for more wine storage (a bonus!), as well as less room for a misstep like accidentally bumping into a shelf and knocking bottles over.
It’s also important to choose a storage space where there are no significant vibrations to disturb the wine. Ideal spots to set up your wine storage area would include a cool basement, closet, or pantry. It doesn’t need to be fancy. If you don’t have such a place in your home and are concerned about keeping your wines at an ideal, consistent temperature, a wine fridge is a great investment, and depending on the size of your collection can also be an affordable option.
We hope this is helpful with what matters most when storing your favorite wines. If you’re anything like us, you’ve been pulling more from the cellar over the past few months and may be looking to build-up your quarantine supply. Take advantage of our Summer offer of overnight shipping for the price of ground shipping and get your Baer wines the next day. This way they’re not exposed to extreme, inconsistent temperatures in transit and you can be sipping on delicious Washington wines in no time!
