Wines, especially expensive and valuable ones, must be stored properly.
With proper maintenance, such a product can last for years without losing its qualities, even at home.
We will tell you about the terms and rules for storing wine in the article.
Content
Terms: how long is it stored?
Making wine is a complex chemical process that takes place under certain conditions with the participation of microorganisms. Once the product is ready, it is bottled and carefully sealed.
According to the current legislation of the Russian Federation Manufacturers must indicate the warranty expiration date on the product.. This is the period during which changes will definitely not occur in the wine that are not provided for by technical standards. And all qualities of the product are guaranteed to be preserved - color, taste, consistency, etc.
At the end of the expiration date, the wine will not necessarily be lost. But signs of aging may appear - some changes. This could be, for example, sediment that was not previously in the bottle. If stored improperly, microorganisms begin to become active in wine, and it is important to prevent this.
House conditions
How much wine will retain its bouquet, taste and appearance largely depends on storage conditions.It is necessary that air humidity, temperature and the degree of illumination of the room are kept under control.
Temperature
Optimal temperature for storing wine is an indicator ranging from 10°C to 15°C. If the temperature is lower, the drink will stop undergoing natural ripening processes.
It is especially dangerous for the product to be at sub-zero temperatures. If this happens, then after defrosting it will be impossible to restore the taste of the noble drink.
Keeping wine at high temperatures is also harmful. In heat, oxidative processes will begin to occur very quickly. As a result, the taste and freshness of the product will be lost. Avoid frequent and/or sudden temperature changes. Details - Here.
Air humidity
The humidity level in the room where the wine is kept is also very important. It should be from 60 to 80%.
Even short exposure to an area with unsuitable humidity can cause damage to the product.
Lighting
It is not advisable for stored wine bottles to be exposed to light, both natural and artificial., as this leads to aging and deterioration of the product. When determining a place to keep wine, this circumstance should be taken into account.
How to store?
A basement or a special wine cabinet is traditionally chosen to store a wine collection. Whatever location is chosen, it must maintain optimal conditions for wine. You can learn how to properly store wine herewhere to keep - Here.
Where and in what?
Having decided to choose a basement for storing wine stocks, it should be equipped according to all the rules. Wine cabinets equipped with an automatic system allow you to maintain the desired microclimate without effort. The size and number of shelves in such a cabinet can be chosen as desired, taking into account the available space. Will tell you where to store wine in a city apartment this article.
Bottled
At home, when planning long-term storage of wines, bottles must be placed horizontally.
This is necessary so that the contents of the bottle wet the cork. With this organization, it will not be able to dry out and begin to let air through.
If the cork dries out, its seal will be compromised. The wine will come into contact with air and will oxidize. You can find out more Here.
Open
If the bottle has already been opened, but the wine has not been drunk, the question arises how long it can be kept, and whether it is possible to leave it for a long time. Standard average recommendation - product should be used within 3 days.
When you uncork a bottle, its contents immediately begin to come into contact with air. This starts oxidative processes. Replacing the bottle with a cork will not solve the problem.
The exception is dessert and fortified wines. If the product contains a lot of alcohol and sugar, the shelf life of the opened bottle increases to 7 days. Full-bodied red wines can be left for no more than 5 days, rose and white wines - for 3 days, sparkling wines - for no more than 1 day.
You can learn more about storing an open bottle of wine from this articles.
In plastic
Homemade wine is sometimes bottled in plastic. This approach is quite controversial and is not welcomed by professional winemakers. The plastic of the container can react with the contents, which will affect the quality, taste and aroma of the wine itself.
If plastic containers are used, you should pay attention to the labeling of the container. It is possible to use bottles: HDPE, PETE, PET. If numbers 3-7 are indicated, such a container should not be used for wine.
Homemade wines typically have an alcohol content of up to 10-14%. This allows you to store wine in a plastic bottle quite safely for a short time.
This option is not advisable for fortified drinks., since they already contain more alcohol, up to 20%. In this case, the chemicals from the plastic interact more actively with the wine, which can lead to unpleasant consequences.
Another disadvantage of plastic bottles is their lack of tightness and ability to pass gases. Such contact leads to oxidation of the product and deterioration of its quality.
Taking into account the characteristics of the material, the duration of storage in plastic, even if all conditions are met, cannot be longer than 3 months. Details - here.
Is it possible in the refrigerator?
Wine storage refrigerator can only be considered for the contents of a started bottle.
In other cases, the use of a household kitchen refrigeration unit is not advisable. This is due to the fact that the conditions there are not suitable for storing wine for a long time.
If you need to preserve an already opened bottle, you can put it in the refrigerator. Storage cannot be long - from 1 day to a week, depending on the type of product. Can you store wine in the refrigerator? this article.
Cellar
An ordinary basement or cellar can be used to store the collection guilt. But the room must be prepared in accordance with the requirements for humidity, temperature, and light levels.
When organizing a wine cellar, you should install a device to measure humidity and temperature levels. Read more Here.
Wine shelf
To store wine at home, compact cabinets and wine racks that do not take up much space are often used. It can be:
- built-in structures,
- separate removable shelves,
- cabinet racks, etc.
Having set out to make a wine rack with your own hands, you should take care not only of the necessary materials, but also of the tools. Read more here.
Homemade
When making home wine, it is very important to create conditions suitable for storing wine. All rules that apply to industrially produced drinks and their contents also apply to homemade wine.
If there is no wine cellar, a pantry can be equipped or a basement adapted for these purposes.
If the home winery is large, significant volumes of the drink can be kept in oak barrels. Most often, wine is bottled in tinted glass. Traditional cork stoppers are used.
Homemade wine intended for long-term storage should not be poured into plastic containers. Read more here.
Red and white
There are no critical differences in the storage requirements for red and white wines. In most cases, you should only pay attention to the expiration date of the product specified by the manufacturer. For whites it is significantly lower than for reds, who are more unpretentious to living conditions. Read about storing red wine Here.
Conclusion
The process of storing even large volumes of wine may not cause problems if the place for maintaining the wine collection is properly organized. You also need to remember that wine does not tolerate shaking, and bottles should not even be rearranged unless necessary.
They lie in wineries for years, covered with cobwebs and dust, which gives them the opportunity to ripen and retain their unique properties.
