Storing wine at home - the rules dictated by the science of oenology. What should you not store wine in? Why do you need to maintain a certain level of humidity in storage?

High-quality wine is a rather capricious and delicate drink. Its bouquet depends on many factors, including the temperature at which it is served, storage conditions and the quality of the raw materials. Many of us do not drink the entire bottle at once, limiting ourselves to a couple of glasses of this wonderful drink. As a result, we are left with open wine. It can be stored in the refrigerator only in exceptional cases; for these purposes it is better to purchase a wine cooler.

Good wines deserve decent conditions

Without a doubt, the best place to store wine is the cellar. There are all the conditions for ripening the drink. In traditional wine cellars, low temperatures and optimal humidity are constantly maintained.

Unfortunately, not all city residents living in apartment buildings have the opportunity to dig out a small storage facility for their collection of fortified drinks. Therefore, very often wine is stored in ordinary refrigerators. However, this equipment is not intended for long-term preservation of the noble drink.

Can wine be stored in the refrigerator?

Of course, this is allowed. One of the most important conditions is the complete immobility of the bottle. The drink should not be subject to vibration, so it is advisable to securely fix the container in one position. Many experienced winemakers recommend storing it exclusively in a vertical position, since the slightest contact with the cork causes the wine to lose its taste.

An open bottle of champagne can be stored in a regular refrigerator for no more than one day, wine - up to three days. Drinks with high alcohol and sugar content can last up to seven days in an open bottle. Moreover, the wine must be tightly corked. The taste and aroma of the drink will begin to gradually deteriorate in just a few hours. Therefore, it is better to use a wine refrigerator to store bottles.

Cabinet Types

Today there are four types of wine refrigerators. They all perform different functions.

Single-temperature models maintain a stable temperature, fluctuating between 10-14 degrees. These cabinets are real little wine cellars that unleash the full potential of your drinks collection. Dual-temperature models have two isolated zones for storing drinks and cooling them before serving.

Three-temperature cabinets are designed for storing and cooling wines. They have three separate chambers that are maintained at different temperatures. The central compartment is used to store drinks, the upper one is used to bring them to room temperature, the lower one is used to cool them to 6-10 degrees. Multi-temperature cabinets can store a wide variety of drinks. The temperature maintained inside such a refrigerator fluctuates over a wide range: from 7 to 21 degrees.

Capacity and zoning

The simplest models can hold up to six bottles. Their popularity is explained by the ability to operate on a car battery. Many people take this wine cooler with them on vacation. Its small size allows it to be transported inside a car, which is why such models are in great demand among lovers of frequent outdoor trips.

For home storage of strong drinks, a wine refrigerator capable of holding 12-50 bottles is more suitable. Such models are characterized by relatively small dimensions. Their height does not exceed a meter. Avid collectors will certainly be interested in wine coolers the size of a good refrigerator. They can store from 100 to 500 bottles.

Inside, the wine cabinet can be divided into several separate zones. Depending on the model of the refrigerator, there are two or three insulated chambers, each of which maintains a certain temperature necessary for storing different types of wines. The third zone is often used to prepare drinks for tasting. In addition, there is a single-compartment wine refrigerator. The home closet runs on electricity. When purchasing bulk models, you should be prepared for hefty electricity bills.

Dimensions and design

A modern wine refrigerator has a noble and beautiful appearance, so it can easily fit into the interior of almost any room. The cost of such products varies between 30-500 thousand rubles. Most models feature an elegant glass door with UV-absorbing tinting. Inside the cabinet, the wine refrigerator is equipped with special LEDs that do not increase the air temperature and do not disturb the internal microclimate. Thanks to this backlight, you can always look at the contents without opening the door.

What to look for when buying a wine cabinet

When storing sparkling and fortified drinks, you should take into account several important features that will allow you not to get lost in the offered range of models. So, the first thing you should pay attention to is the capacity of the equipment. In this case, it all depends on what purpose the wine refrigerator will be used for. For those who do not belong to the category of collectors, you can limit yourself to purchasing a relatively small model.

A modern wine cabinet should have a function to automatically maintain the optimal humidity level. This is very important, because if this figure is less than 65% or above 80%, then the inevitable process of damage to the cork begins. It dries out or becomes moldy, causing the drink itself to spoil.

Most models are equipped with carbon filters that purify the air entering the cabinet. They need to be changed at least once a year, because the storage conditions of your collection of drinks depend on this.

Custom wine refrigerators

Today, many manufacturers of such equipment accept individual orders. In this case, the consumer receives an original wine storage cabinet that fits perfectly into the overall interior of the room and meets all your requirements. When placing an order, you can specify not only your preferences for the design of the unit, but also the desired temperature range.

Thus, it will not only provide optimal conditions for storing wines, but will also be perfectly integrated into a furniture set. Such a cabinet can be installed in almost any room, including a pantry, hallway or kitchen.

When choosing a location for a wine refrigerator, there are several things to consider. Since the furniture into which the equipment for storing your home beverage collection will be integrated has small ventilation gaps, it should be located away from stoves and ovens.

Wine is an exquisite and delicate drink that reveals its unique taste only with careful and proper handling. If alcohol can be stored in a closed bottle for years and even decades, then after it is uncorked it becomes unusable within a few days, and in some cases even hours. The culprit is interaction with oxygen and the beginning of a rapid oxidation process. The grape drink turns into vinegar in a short period of time and becomes unfit for consumption. Spoiled wine can lead to intoxication and food poisoning, so you should not neglect the rules and storage conditions so as not to harm your health.

Shelf life of different types of wines

The shelf life of an alcoholic drink directly depends on its type. In a closed bottle, white wine can be stored for 2-3 years, red wine for up to 10 years, and elite varieties from the French provinces of Beaujolais for up to 100 years. Of course, we are talking about natural grape wines with a natural fermentation process, and not about powder concentrates. The optimal temperature should be +10-16 degrees, humidity – 65-80%. The container must be in a stable horizontal position so that the cork does not dry out.

Opened wine has a much shorter shelf life. The higher the percentage of sugar and alcohol content, the longer the product is usable. The table below will help you understand the shelf life of different varieties in an open bottle.

Both red and white wine in Bag-in-a-box packaging, consisting of a box and a bag with a tap, can be stored for up to 30 days. The whole secret lies in a special container that does not allow oxygen to penetrate inside.

Homemade wine can be stored for a long time if the necessary conditions are created. All of them are similar to storing the factory drink in closed bottles. If you plan to consume alcohol within 1-2 weeks, you can move it to the refrigerator. The temperature in the chamber should not be below zero, otherwise the product will deteriorate. During the cold season, it is recommended to move the drink to the balcony. It is advisable to use a dark glass bottle with a natural cork stopper.

Storage methods

You need to store opened wine in the refrigerator, since this is how you can create optimal conditions so that the drink does not spoil. Favorable factors include:

• low temperature;
• lack of light and inability to penetrate sunlight;
• minimal access of oxygen.

The following will help extend the shelf life:

• special devices;
• smaller container volume;
• freezing the drink.

Transfusion

The most budget-friendly way to preserve the exquisite taste of wine is to pour it into a smaller container. It is advisable to fill it to the top as much as possible and close it tightly with a stopper. The most suitable container is a dark glass bottle.

It is strongly recommended not to pour homemade wine into plastic containers, as the drink may absorb caustic chemicals, which will affect its taste and aroma. In addition, plastic allows oxygen to pass through, which leads to rapid oxidation of the wine. If there is no suitable glass container, then you can take a plastic one marked “PETE” or “HDPE” indicated on the bottom of the bottle. In this case, the product can be stored for up to 3 months at a temperature of 5-15 degrees.

Light-bodied wines can be stored in such containers, but for fortified drinks with a strength above 18-20%, this option is not suitable, since the chemicals will certainly react with alcohol, which will negatively affect the quality of the wine.

Pouring is not suitable for sparkling wines because carbon dioxide is lost when the drink is transferred to a smaller container.

Plastic bottles with these markings are suitable for storing wine

Vacuum plug

Electronic vacuum wine stopper with LCD screen, air control and temperature indicator

The principle of this device is that all the air is pumped out of the bottle. This creates an environment similar to the one that existed before opening the container. The impossibility of oxygen penetration allows you to increase the shelf life of the grape drink to 10 days, since the oxidation process is eliminated. The kit usually includes a stainless steel pump and a sealed plug that fits tightly to the neck. If the air is completely pumped out of the container, a characteristic clicking sound is heard.

Such a professional device has many varieties, differing in appearance and functionality, which affects the final cost. The devices can be purchased in specialized stores and online stores at prices ranging from $10 and above. In more expensive versions, models are equipped with special sensors that show the degree of air pumping, temperature and even shelf life. When oxygen enters, the system automatically starts a pumping program. The electronic vacuum plug operates on batteries, all information is displayed on the LCD display. The products of Le Cruiset and Sititek have long proven themselves to be the best.

Grape wine is an ancient noble drink that carries not only intoxicating properties, but also many beneficial effects when consumed in moderation. Many people are interested in whether it is possible to store wine in the refrigerator, and in fact, this question is very serious: the taste and quality of the drink greatly depends on proper storage.

In this article we will tell you whether the refrigerator compartment is an acceptable place for wine, as well as how long and under what conditions uncorked bottles can be stored.

About storing wine

Wine can be classified as one of the most sensitive alcoholic drinks that react to everything - light, temperature, humidity, vibration. Even once bottled, the wine is constantly in the process of aging, day after day changing the facets of its taste and aroma.

The drink does not tolerate sunlight, which is why, as you can see, almost all wines are sold in dark bottles. The ideal place where the product will be comfortable is a dark room, with humidity from 50 to 70% and air temperature from +10 to +15°C.

It is advisable that the containers are not touched or touched again and the drink remains “calm”. Cellars, basements, separate rooms or rooms in the house are well suited for such conditions. When there are not many bottles, they can be kept in a wooden closed bar, the main thing is that the temperature in the room is not too high

If you have noticed, bottles in wine storage are always placed horizontally. Special racks in bars and restaurants are also designed in such a way that the bottle lies rather than stands. The fact is that in a horizontal position, the drink, in contact with the cork, does not allow oxygen to seep inside, through the porous material. The constantly wet cork does not dry out and the neck remains tightly plugged for years. Thus, the wine retains its best qualities.

But many, having bought a couple of bottles of wine for the holiday, which will come in a few days, put it in the refrigerator. Is it correct? Can you store wine in the refrigerator or put it there to cool? You will find the answer to this question below.

Wine and refrigerator

An ordinary household refrigerator is in no way suitable for storing wine: it has too low a temperature, high humidity, there are foreign odors, and shaking occurs due to frequent slamming of the door. Even after a couple of days in such an environment, the drink can lose its subtle taste. It is better to put the bottles on the balcony or in a place where it is cool, dark and calm.

There is a special refrigerator for storing wine, more like a cabinet. Such cabinets come in different sizes and can hold from 10 to 100 or more bottles. A refrigerator can have one chamber or be divided into several zones, where individual conditions can be created for each. The device maintains an average temperature of about + 10-12 ° C and the shelves provide for horizontal position of the bottles.

This unit is suitable for those who live in hot climates and like to drink this drink often, stocking up on it in advance.

But what if you drink alcohol infrequently, and after opening a bottle of wine, you didn’t finish it? If the product is expensive, tasty and of high quality, it’s simply a shame to throw it away.

We answer this question below.

An open, unfinished bottle of wine can be stored in the refrigerator, but not for long. The period depends on the type of wine.

• Sparkling. It is best to use it immediately, within a maximum of 4 hours. It erodes very quickly, completely losing its qualities. With a well-corked stopper, a bottle of this drink can last a day in the refrigerator.
• White. Can stay in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Although it will lose its fruity notes within 4-5 hours.
• Pink. It can also stand in the cold for no more than 3 days. But its tenderness and aroma will disappear the very next day after opening.
• Red. This is the most popular wine, and the most frequently asked question is whether red wine can be stored in the refrigerator. An opened bottle with a well-corked cork will last up to 5 days.
• Dessert. An opened bottle of the drink will retain most of its qualities for 5-6 days.

If you like to have a glass of wine every now and then before bed or with dinner, and know that you will never finish the entire bottle in one sitting, take a look at young wines. Their taste improves just after opening the container and they can be stored in this form in the cold for up to 3 weeks.

In fact, homemade wine is the same as wine, except perhaps bottled in crazy bottles. Of course, the comparison of homemade wines is not with cheap products, which cannot even be called wines, but with real grape drinks. It must be stored exactly as described above, in accordance with the variety.

Now you know how long you can store opened wine in the refrigerator. But keep in mind - despite the fact that the drink does not like low temperatures, the uncorked container cannot be kept at room temperature for more than 3 hours, especially if the room is hot and stuffy. The wine will begin to spoil and may even cause food poisoning.

Note: today you can find household vacuum sealers on sale. If you haven’t finished drinking a bottle of wine and are sure that you are unlikely to empty the container in the near future, you can place the bottle in a bag and use a machine to suck the air out of it and seal the edge hermetically. In this form, the drink will last in a cool place much longer - 20-40 days.

We hope that we were able to fully answer the question of whether it is possible to store wine in the refrigerator. Winemakers and true wine connoisseurs say that you should only open a bottle if you intend to drink the entire contents, because uncorked, standing wine is no longer wine. It’s up to you to believe them or not; the most important thing is to follow safety measures so that you don’t harm your health with a spoiled drink.

It is very practical to have several bottles of wine in stock. But many questions arise: where to store wine, how long will it last in bottles at home, and what to do if the bottle is open? Let's figure it out together.

Wine storage requirements

At first glance, it seems that storing wine at home is a completely simple process: you buy it, put it on the shelf and forget about it. It's not like that at all. You need to follow several rules to properly store wines so that their taste does not change.

Rule 1. Constant temperature regime

It is very important to choose the right temperature. After all, at high thermometer values, wine ages faster, losing its subtle and fresh notes, and at low values, it begins to become cloudy. Temperature changes can ruin the cork and the drink will oxidize.

So, the storage temperature for bottled wine is:

• White wine– 9-12 °C;
• Homemade grape wine– 10-12 °C;
• Fortified dessert wine– 14-16 °C;
• Red wine– 15-17 °C.

Rule 2. Room humidity

The shelf life of this drink also directly depends on the humidity in the room. The humidity in the room should be kept at 65-80%. This amount of moisture will prevent the cork from drying out and, accordingly, oxygen from getting inside the bottle.

Rule 3. Lighting

Wine does not like bright lighting. Storing wine in tinted glass bottles is more efficient. Direct sunlight or bright light from fluorescent lamps contribute to the rapid aging of the drink.

Ideal conditions are to place store-bought and homemade bottled wine in equipped cells where light exposure will be minimal.

Some varieties of white wines are highly sensitive to light, so they are recommended to be stored in completely shaded areas. Carefully read the manufacturer's recommendations on the packaging.

Rule 4. Horizontal position and rest

Wine can only be stored in horizontal position. This especially applies to expensive collector's items. The fact is that in a horizontal position the wine comes into contact with the cork, and it, in turn, affects the formation of taste.

Another important point is peace. The more often you shake the bottles and shake the wine inside, the faster it will spoil. This is why bottles become covered in dust over time.

Storage methods

We have figured out the conditions at what temperature to store wine, now we need to figure out what to store homemade wine and other varieties in.

The main methods are presented in the table:

Image	Recommendations
	Method 1. Wine cellar. Real luck if you have a house with your own cellar. Setting up shelving and maintaining optimal temperature underground is much easier.
	Method 2. Cabinet thermostat. The wine cabinet can accommodate from 50 to 500 bottles (depending on the model). The set temperature and humidity are always maintained inside, which makes it easier to create the necessary conditions.
	Method 3. Special racks and racks. Original wine racks can not only keep the drink in perfect condition, but also become an excellent decorative element. How long can homemade wine be stored this way? Until the moment of use. The only drawback is that you need to constantly monitor the temperature, humidity and lighting in the room.

Storing homemade wine

Some tips on how to store homemade wine:

• Plum, cherry, apple– up to 3 years;
• Grape– up to 4 years;
• Sea buckthorn, rowan– more than 5 years.

InstructionsHow to bottle wine with your own hands to preserve its taste for as long as possible:

1. Wash glass bottles and pour the drink into them;
2. Leave it to rest for a few hours;
3. Then drive in the cork plugs under pressure into the neck;

1. Cover the top of the cork with wax or sealing wax.. You can buy wax and sealing wax for sealing in specialized stores, the price is low;

1. Place bottles on racks until the moment of use.

There is a misconception that homemade wine can be stored in glass jars covered with metal or plastic lids. This is the wrong approach. After two months, the drink will begin to oxidize and become unusable.

If you have a cellar, you can consider storing in oak barrels:

1. Within 10 days fill the barrels with boiling water;
2. On the last day The barrel must be fumigated from the inside with sulfur. To do this, a small piece of sulfur is set on fire and lowered into the hole;
3. Then pour the wine into containers and put it in the cellar.

Results

Making a home supply of wine is not at all difficult, the main thing is to follow all the listed rules. The video in this article will reveal all the secrets of storing this drink. If something is unclear, ask questions in the comments.

Wine is a capricious drink that needs proper care and careful handling. After its “birth” at the winery, it only begins its long “life journey”, gradually ripening and acquiring more and more shades of taste and aroma. It is at this stage that knowledge about its storage will come in handy.

Only under ideal conditions will the bouquet of this noble drink open up to its fullest and sparkle with bright, impeccable notes. And at the same time, it doesn’t matter at all whether we are talking about an exquisite Burgundy wine or an inexpensive one, since young wines, on the contrary, are even more demanding of environmental conditions and spoil many times faster. So how to properly store wine at home?

Storing unopened wines

The best place to store a noble drink is a wine cellar. But not everyone can boast of living in a castle or at least an estate. Therefore, if there is no opportunity to equip your own wine library, you will have to find another cozy place. For example, a cellar or attic.

But don’t rush to free them from the accumulated rubbish; the conditions prevailing there may not correspond to the preferences of a “demanding drink.”

Comfortable temperature

"Standing" or "lying down"?

Traditionally, wine is stored horizontally. And this is not without reason. The point is this: when the bottle is standing upright, the wine does not come into contact with the cork, allowing the latter to dry out from contact with air. And damage to the cork inevitably leads to damage to the wine due to the penetration of the same oxygen into the bottle.

Important! Fortified wines contain a decent amount of alcohol, which can attack the cork. Therefore, such wine is stored not in a horizontal position, but in a vertical position.

Humidity parameters

Humidity requirements also relate to the possible drying out of the cork. The optimal indicator is 80%. As a rule, in cellars it is like this. But to determine humidity in other places you will have to use a special device - a hygrometer.

On a note! If the humidity level is below the acceptable level, correct the situation using an ordinary humidifier.

And if the humidity is too high, you will have to find another place. It will cause mold to form on the cork and spoil the wine.

Darkness or light?

The wine prefers dark storage conditions; in the light it will quickly fade and lose part of the bouquet. Therefore, you should not visit the cellar too often and leave the light on.

Important! White and sparkling wines are especially sensitive to light.

Brief lighting will not affect the quality of the drink in any way, so feel free to turn on the light if you want to check the contents of your wine cellar.

Calm and once again calm!

Shaking and wine are absolutely incompatible things. This can be seen even by the presence of a thick layer of dust on bottles from specialized wineries, where they are stored for years without the slightest movement. Taking wine in your hands in such places is strictly prohibited, so as not to interfere with its ripening.

Wine loves tranquility so much that even vibration from a passing car can disrupt the natural course of its ripening. Therefore, choose a place for your noble drink away from household members and any source of hesitation.

Terms and features of storage of red and white wines

There are no significant differences in the storage of red and white wines, but some subtleties are still worth noting. So, white ones cannot be stored for more than 3 years. With the exception, perhaps, of a collection of dry white wine - Chardonnay. It can be opened even after 30 years.

Red ones last much longer - up to 20 years. But if we are talking about the famous Burgundy wine, then after 100 years of aging it will become even more aromatic and richer.

Storing opened wines

Surely every housewife has wondered more than once whether it is worth leaving open wine for further storage. The answer is simple - you can, but not more than 3 days. After all, at the slightest contact with oxygen, the drink begins to oxidize. And if initially this process helps to reveal the bouquet and taste, then after some time it only has an irreversible destructive effect. Even re-corking the bottle will not correct the situation.

The situation is even worse with sparkling wines - they fizzle out within a day. But fortified, white dessert and red dessert wines, containing large amounts of sugar and alcohol, can be stored for up to a week after uncorking. Dessert wines include port, sauternes, madeira, ice wine and sherry.

Ideally, it is better to drink the opened wine immediately or use the leftovers for culinary purposes. For example, pour it over a steak while frying, make a sauce, or add it to a dessert. But if there is an urgent need, you can try to preserve the wine, following the above deadlines and the following rules.

• Change the usual horizontal position of the bottle to a vertical one. Although the first option is much more convenient and compact, especially for an overloaded holiday refrigerator, in a lying position the wine will spread and the area of ​​contact with the air that has penetrated into the bottle will increase. And this, in turn, will speed up the oxidation process of the drink.
• Seal the bottle tightly with the cork. You can use the old one if you remove it carefully.
• Store all opened wines in the refrigerator. Under the influence of low temperature, the processes of oxidation and the development of acetic bacteria, which will quickly spoil the taste of the drink, will slow down.
• To significantly extend the life of your wine, use a vacuum pump. With its help, you will pump out excess air and slow down the oxidation process. However, do not place too much hope on it; even such a device cannot pump out all the air.
• Try to create a calm environment without excessive vibrations. Do not check the condition of the wine several times.
• Another useful tip is to pour the wine into a smaller bottle. This way you will also get rid of excess air and slow down the oxidation of the drink.

Like a person, wines are born, mature, ripen and die. And the main thing is not to interfere with the natural processes occurring in them. Then the noble drink will reward you with a bright and unforgettable aroma and aftertaste, complementing the festive table with its impeccable bouquet.