beginner · Wine School
Storing Wine
How to keep wine at its best — light, temperature, humidity, and how long it actually lasts.
Three enemies shorten a wine's life: heat, light and too much air. Store bottles on their side in a cool, dark, stable place at around 10–14°C.
Red wines generally handle cellar conditions better than whites, whose freshness declines sooner. But most wine is made for early drinking — only a minority improves with age.
Once opened, wines oxidise quickly. A decent vacuum pump or inert-gas system buys another day or two; a half-full bottle of a delicate white is best finished that evening.
Stability beats temperature
Steady cool is far better than swings. A stable 15°C is kinder than a room that fluctuates.
Drink most wine young
Only a small fraction of wine benefits from cellaring. Enjoy the rest within a few years of release.