Storing Your Wine
Once you receive your exciting wine order, it’s important to then think about where you might store it.
This matters a little less if you’re going to drink it fairly soon, however if you’re going to hold on to it for a few days or longer, perhaps until a special occasion, you will then need to think about how to properly store your wine.
If stored properly, sparkling wine and Champagne can keep well for many years. Exceptional examples can even last for decades, gaining complexity and exciting aromas and flavours associated with a well aged wine.
So, how should I store my bottles?
You should ensure your wine is stored in a location with a constant ambient temperature. Ideally at cellar temperature, between 10-14ºC. Avoid temperature swings and excessive heat.
You also want to avoid anywhere that has direct exposure to light (both natural, and even fluorescent), as sparkling wine and Champagne is very sensitive to blue and UV light waves and can experience ‘lightstrike’ which ultimately results in bad aromas in your wine.
Excess vibration and noise can also negatively impact your wine. So ensure it is not stored anywhere near machinery and household appliances.
Ok, that’s good, but I don’t have a wine cellar!
That’s totally fine! Many of us don’t have the means to provide our wines with the absolute ideal place for cellaring.
This could be a linen closet, a closed cupboard or drinks cabinet in your dining room, or even a cool corner of your garage. For the latter, just ensure it's a place that is clean and away from bad aromas such as chemicals and other scents, as these can taint your wine.
Another option is purchasing a dedicated, high-quality wine fridge. These are gaining a lot of popularity, and there are more choices than ever when it comes to capacity, size and design. We are sure there will be one that fits both your budget and the decor of your home. Many of these fridges have digital thermometers and also maintain ideal humidity. Some fridges also have UV resistant film coating on their glass doors to prevent any lightstrike, and minimal moving parts and specially designed motors to prevent damaging your wine from constant vibrations.
Should they be stored lying down?
Well, it depends! Typically still wine is cellared lying down, keeping the wine in contact with the cork to reduce the risk of them drying out. However, many Champagne experts now attest that this is not a requirement for sparkling wine. They argue the pressure in the bottle (up to 3 atmospheres) keeps the cork moist, and naturally prevents it drying out. However, while we agree it should be fine for short-term storage, for an extra level of safety during cellaring, we recommend storing them on their side anyway!