Here’s How To Store Your Wine And Beverages At Home

Want to know how to preserve the flavor and state of your wine and beverages at home? Here are a few tips on how to store your wine and beverages. No matter if you’re into a bottle of Cabernet, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or any other type of wine, I’m providing everything you could possibly need to know about keeping your expensive favorite wine safe.

Storing wine and beverages at home is a growing trend in the world. A great number of people are investing in this market because they want to drink something fancy or expensive and they know how to do it right, like a professional. Many of them think it is very complicated but it is not so.

Below are some effective tips to help you store your wine and beverages for as long as their expiry date without compromising color, taste, or flavor.

1. Keep It Chilled

This is not new but you should know some basic specifics needed to keep your wine chilled towards achieving better storage. It is the number one rule of storing your wine and beverage perfectly to avoid losing its quality taste.

One secret you have always neglected is that heat is the number one enemy of wine and beverages. It is an enemy for all food items because that’s the one thing you do not want your food to get affected with.

You do not necessarily need a wine refrigerator to abide by the freezing terms of wines. However, if you are a constant consumer of wine or own a restaurant and you plan to give your customers the irresistible and “keep coming back” taste, you must get a wine refrigerator.

SEE: Foods you should not refrigerate

2. Wrap in Towels

Oh yes, you never knew about this procedure. Towels have an absorbing power that translates into whatever they are wrapped onto. It is one way to store your wines and beverages. But here, you are using a paper towel.

The paper towels must be damp before you wrap them around the bottles. When this is done, the moisture in the towels will evaporate making chills penetrate the liquid in the bottles. To score this goal, make sure you freeze the bottles for a minimum of 15 minutes and a maximum of 20 minutes. This is to avoid an explosion.

I will like you to know that the effectiveness of this storage lies in the dampness of the towel. What makes it a good hack to freezing wine is that the evaporation from the towel makes the towel cool. Thereby transferring this coolness into the body of the bottle to make the liquid get an enhanced quick chill.  

3. Store on its side

Did you know that it’s better to store your wine and beverages upright? Not only will this technique ensure quality but you can maximize your storage space as well.

Wines are made of breakable bottles which shows how delicate the handling is. This is no cause for alarm. All you have to do is put this at the back of your mind and never carelessly hold a wine bottle. When its falls, you risk accidents from broken bottles and losing your money. Remember you bought that wine with a lot of money.

Learn to place the bottles of your beverages and wines by their side in the freezer except when making as serving for yourself or your partner. It is safer to do so because it lowers the risk of breaking when standing upright.

SEE: Substitutes for Brandy

4. Use proper lighting

Lighting and storage are important factors you must consider when making preparations to preserve the life of your food items. Abiding by the proper light temperature will enable your wines and beverages to have the longest storage with their quality and taste intact.

Even if you just got some bottles of wine and beverages, do not place them directly to place with sunlight. You could do otherwise by keeping your bottles away from the windows. The sun’s rays can damage the content in the bottles.

In your freezer, ensure you tune the lighting to room temperature and that the bulbs used are not fluorescent. Fluorescent poses an ultraviolet risk for your bottle. Be extra careful with bottles with clearer views like your Smirnoff.

The most recommended if you are gonna be using a rack for your bottles is the LED which offers the appropriate lighting temperature needed for your wine and beverages.

5. Be Aware of expiration dates

All food items have an expiration date that individuals must be aware of. The best time to check and know the date of expiration of an item is at the very point of purchase. So you can choose another one. Consuming an expired product is food poisoning, avoid it at all costs.

Wines and beverages should be consumed within a short period. Some last for 2 years and others for a year. Red wines last for a period of 3 years and white wines for a period of 1 to 2 years. Wines with high ingredients of tannins and sugars will last longer.

Knowing the expiry date of your wines and beverages will enable you to utilize the best storage facility to preserve them until when it is finished. You will also know if that wine brand will be the next pick for your visitor or how quickly you should drink them.

SEE: Does Distilled Water Ever Go Bad or Is It Just Water? Find Out

6. Store your wines and beverages at the proper temperature

Store your wines and beverages at the proper temperature. Wine should be stored at 55 degrees Fahrenheit (12.8 degrees Celsius). Your refrigerator is probably too cold, so store them in a closet or on a shelf in your basement instead.

Most red wine can last up to three days at room temperature after opening; white wine lasts two days and sparkling wine only one day. If you prefer not to open your bottle right away, simply store it upright in its case with an absorbent pad underneath it (NOT corked).

7. Store your wines and beverages at the proper humidity

It’s important to keep your wine at an appropriate level of humidity so that it doesn’t dry out or absorb moisture from its surroundings. If there’s too much humidity in the air around your wine bottles, mold can develop on their labels or cork seals.

If there’s too little humidity, corks may shrink as they absorb water from their surroundings. This can lead to leaks and broken bottles later on down the line. Ideally, you should maintain a relative humidity level of 50 percent or less in an enclosed space such as a closet or cabinet where you store your wines and other beverages.

8. Store your open wines and beverages properly

Keep your open wines and beverages in the refrigerator properly. If you’re planning to enjoy a bottle of wine with dinner, make sure you store it properly so that it keeps its flavor and freshness for as long as possible.

Avoid storing your open wine and beverages on the dining table or near a heat source, since this might alter the flavor of the wine. Instead, keep the bottle cold and out of direct sunshine or other light sources.

9. Avoid storing your wines and beverages in plastic bags or containers

Don’t store your wine in plastic bags or containers. Plastic bags or containers trap too much air inside them and prevent proper airflow from reaching your bottles of wine, which will cause them to oxidize more quickly than they would otherwise.

10. Top of your refrigerator is not meant for wines and beverages

Don’t store your wine and beverages on top of your refrigerator. This may seem like common sense, but many people actually do this without realizing how bad it can be for their wine collection. Because refrigerators are so cold inside, they tend to suck moisture out of anything that is placed on them – including bottles of wine.

FAQs

Where should alcohol be stored?

In an environment that is cool, dark, and humid so it keeps its quality and shelf-life. Also, a wine cellar gives you the best conditions for storing wine.

How long will it take to store my wine or beverage?

As long as your wine or beverage has not expired.

What temperature should you keep my wine stored at?

Within 55 – 59 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s cellar temperature.

How long can you store your open wine or beverage in the refrigerator?

Do not put an opened bottle of beer back in the refrigerator, as this will cause it to lose its flavor and crispness. It is better to drink a bottle immediately.

Conclusion

Storing wine at home can take some practice. You have to make sure the temperature isn’t too hot or too cold, the humidity is just right, and your bottles are stored upright. But if you follow these simple tips above, you can ensure that your wine stays in good condition for as long as possible.

Whether you’re storing wine for a party or collecting in hopes of opening a special bottle someday, there are steps one can take to keep your bottled drinks in tip-top shape.

By ensuring optimal storage conditions and keeping your bottles clean and dry, you can help ensure that your drinks age well and taste the way they’re supposed to when you finally uncork them.

I hope you found this article helpful. If you want more similar tips and guides, please feel free to explore Cheffist.

Thank you for reading.