Should I store my wine in the refrigerator or cabinet?
I have two choices for storing my wine (for a week or so):
1) store in the refrigerator, where it will reach very cool temperatures (40 degrees)
2) store in the cabinet, where 85 degree temperatures are reached during the day (70 degrees at night)
Also, how does opening and resealing the wine affect storage, if at all?
Tagged with: degree temperatures • refrigerator • storage • two choices • wine
Filed under: All Things Wine
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How you ultimately store your wine should be determined by the type of wine you want to store. If you are storing whites, a cooled wine cabinet or refrigerator could work fine. However, storing any wine in the modern day refrigerator will not guarantee a proper humidity and could result in flavor loss or wine loss if too much oxygen is allowed through the cork.
Do not store reds in a refrigerator as you are preventing the wine from aging properly. Temperatures that are too cold will hault the aging process.
Storing wine in an uncontrolled climate like a wine cabinet without having it in a proper setting where temperatures do not exceed 55 degrees F is not good either. If you store your wine in an environment that exceeds recommended temperatures you could lose wine to the environment, ruin it with the heat or too much humidity.
Your options are to buy a cooled wine cabinet that can at least store it around 55-60 degrees F or place it in your basement where temperatures might be cooler and no sunlight will reach the bottles.
A wine cellar or wine room with proper cooling and humidity is the best solution, but will be costly to create.
best storing is on it’s side in a cool dry place. the bottom needs to be turned at least once a week to keep the cork in good shape. once opened, keep in fridge for no more than a week.
it depends on the wine. red wine should always be stored slightly chilled at about 60-65 degrees F. White wine can always be chilled in the fridge. If you have a basement or somewhere cooler than 85-70 degrees, I would suggest that. Higher temps can actually alter the flavor of wine. Opening and resealing isn’t that bad, but it will let the alcohol evaporate some - so you will lose some strength. Also, you should never drink the very last bit of wine as even though wine is sifted there are still tannins that will settle while sitting after the wine is bottled. Hope this helps!!
Use the refrigerator and after opening drink it up fairly quickly like in a couple of days. If you let it sit around a long time in the frig after opening and resealing, you can always use it for cooking. Air, light, and heat all negatively affect wines.
If it’s only for a week it really won’t matter. If it’s white, stick it in the fridge.
By the way…Never rotate stored bottles. It will prevent any sediment from caking on the side of the bottle where it belongs. The cork will be wet enough by virtue of the bottle lying on its side.
Also, tannins, in the form of sediment, only settle to the bottom of old red wines. No sediment, no need not to drink it all up. If there is sediment at the bottle of the bottle the wine should be decanted.
Also, the alcohol will not evaporate if you choose to open and reseal your bottle…that’s ridiculous.
Please do not store wine at temperature that get up to 85 degrees.
If you want to store for a short time, you can do so in refrigerator. The problem with refrigerator is that it will dry the cork and cause air leak, resulting in oxidation. For quick cooling or storing for less than 1 week, refrigerator may be OK. However, you are potentially diminishing the lifespan of the wine in the long run.
Opening and resealing the wine will cause oxidation of the wine as well. Once it is opened, it should be stored upright. You should buy a wine storing gas, which will place a layer of heavy gas on top of wine and prevent oxidation. After you opened a wine, you will need to store it in a refrigerator to slow down the oxidation.
Since its summer I would put it in the fridge if you are talking about red or white wine. In the winter I store my red wine in the gradge I live in Florida so it doesn’t get that cold. if you put your red wine in the fridge before you serve it open it and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Wine is best stored in a cool dry place away fom direct light. Experts recommend 60 degreed Farenheit. If a wine is stored upright, the cork can dry out, letting air in. The hotter the wine gets the faster it will age. Temps over 80 aren’t good at all. If a wine stays above 80 for more than a few hours, they go bad. Most wines are ready to drink as soon as you buy them at the store so if youplan to drink the bottle soon, storing it in the fridge won’t hurt it. If you buy a good bottle and plan to age it, I suggest buying a wine cooler that is temperature controlled. Air is the enemy of wine. Once it’s exposed to air, it starts to break down (kinda like a coke going flat once you open it) After it’s opened you could finish it off the next day, but after that, you’ll definitely taste and smell the difference.