The cultivation and enjoyment of wine has been an integral part of the local culture since the times when Roman legions were still roaming the Austrian countryside. It is therefore no wonder that Austria is one of the world’s leaders in per capita consumption of wine. Especially in Vienna, where vineyards and cozy wine taverns dominate the cityscape, fermented grape juice enjoys a particularly high level of affection.
It is therefore not surprising that a stock of wines is a matter of course for many Austrians. Be it to have the right drop ready for every occasion or as an increasingly popular investment. Some wines, especially red wines, should even be stored for a longer period of time so that they can really develop their taste. With the adequate storage of wine, however, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Source: Online Focus
Wine is best stored away from light, in a cool place and in a lying position. Especially good for storage are wine cellars, as well as special wine refrigerators.
Wine prefers it a little cooler
The greatest enemy of wine is probably undisputedly a high ambient temperature . Already at temperatures above 21 degrees, the aging process in the bottle accelerates and the expensive bottle of Burgundy quickly becomes undrinkable swill. Since liquids expand during freezing, too low temperatures should of course also be avoided. It stores ideally between 7 and 18 degrees Celsius.
Wine and UV light do not get along
In addition to heat, natural UV light, i.e. sunlight, also leads to a faster ripening process. This also explains the black or green coloring of many bottles, as a protection against this phenomenon. Accordingly, dark rooms are the ideal place for storing wine.
Wine bottles with cork stopper
In addition to the correct temperature and the avoidance of sunlight, the aspect of the humidity but this only applies to wines with cork stoppers. If the humidity is too low, there is a risk that the cork will dry out and air will enter the bottle. This leads to oxidation of the wine and eventually to inedibility. Very high humidity, on the contrary, there is a risk of mold growth, which is equally undesirable. Humidity of about 50-80% is considered appropriate among experts. Also to be noted for bottles with natural corks is the storage in a lying position. The reason is the same as for humidity, namely to prevent the cork from drying out.
Source: Understanding wine
Where is the best place to store?
Considering the points just mentioned, it is no wonder that wine cellars have asserted themselves as the most useful way to store wine. These combine all the important characteristics of an ideal storage facility and, on top of that, are probably the most luxurious way to store wine. Since only very few people are lucky enough to enjoy this, especially among the urban population, special wine refrigerators have become increasingly popular in recent years. However, these generally have the disadvantage of very high power consumption. Simple windowless rooms with relative constant temperature below 20 degrees Celsius work equally well as storage facilities. If you are planning to store a large quantity of wine bottles, a self-storage storage compartment at a self-storage provider such as STORE ROOM offers ideal conditions for longer storage periods.
If you follow these few but important points, there is not much standing in the way of a long life for your noble drops. It should perhaps be said that not all wines are equally well suited to longer storage periods, which is why it is good to know in advance about the suitability for storage of your wine. However, if your wine is not particularly well suited for storage, this is not a big deal. After all, it was made to be drunk. Cheers! 😉
Your STORE ROOM Team 🤖