To guarantee the quality of your wine, whether it is a high-quality product from a renowned producer or a limited edition bottle, it is essential to have adequate storage. Whether you're storing the bottle for a few months or even a decade, there are some important guidelines to follow to ensure the wine stays in the best condition possible.

In order to preserve the flavor, aroma and integrity of the wine, it is essential to maintain adequate environmental conditions. Firstly, it is important to store wine at a constant temperature, ideally between 12°C and 18°C. Temperature fluctuations can cause damage to wine, resulting in unpleasant flavors and loss of quality. Avoid storing wine in places where the temperature can vary greatly, such as near windows exposed to direct sunlight or near heat sources.

Another important factor to consider is the storage position of the bottles. Bottles with cork stoppers should be stored lying down to keep the cork moist and prevent air from entering the bottle. This will help preserve the freshness and organoleptic qualities of the wine.

It's something you'll notice in every custom wine fridge, wine fridge, built-in kitchen wine rack, and even high-end wine stores; the shelves are created so that the bottles can be placed on their sides.

However, bottles with screw caps or other synthetic closures can be stored upright without any problems.

We particularly like wine storage with drawers. You can take them out and easily see your wine labels.

Lining up your wines on the kitchen counter may look impressive, but it's not the best for your wine. Wines like constant, cool temperatures. Heat heats the liquid and can cause it to spoil more quickly.

The ideal temperature for storing wine is 55 degrees F. It is often referred to as “cellar temperature” and works for any style of wine, such as sparkling wines, white wines, red wines, and fortified styles such as Port and Madeira.

(Cell cellar temperature is different from serving temperature, which ranges from 45 degrees F to room temperature.) This is why wine coolers or refrigerated wine rooms are popular for long-term wine storage.

If you don't have a dedicated cool room (especially the city dwellers among us), look for a cool corner of your house. Keep wine away from heat sources such as ovens, stoves and fireplaces. This means never place a bottle on top of the kitchen refrigerator. Pantries are a great option.

If you want to store wine at the ideal temperature of 55 degrees F, consider investing in a wine refrigerator. They come in all sorts of sizes, from six-bottle countertop mini-fridges to massive wall-sized units that fit hundreds of bottles. Many can be built into your kitchen or bar area too, which makes them easier on the eyes.

As much as unopened wines like cool spaces, they don't do so well in a cold kitchen refrigerator. That bottle of champagne that's been sitting on the fridge door for months? It's important to take it out of the fridge.

Kitchen refrigerators keep items at around 35 to 40 degrees, which is great for food preservation but too cold for wine bottles. If the wine freezes, it can actually push the cork out as the liquid expands!

Additionally, the refrigerator lacks humidity, which can dry out wine corks and cause the wine to oxidize prematurely.

If you want to chill a bottle of white, rosé, sparkling wine, or any other wine to serve later that day, place the bottle on its side in the refrigerator an hour before opening.

Ever noticed how wines, especially champagne, come in colorful bottles? There is a reason for that. Wines do best in the dark, and thick, colorful glass bottles help keep the light out.

Exposure to direct sunlight or intense light sources such as bright bulbs can also be harmful to wine. Ultraviolet rays can accelerate wine aging and negatively affect its sensory characteristics.

It is recommended to keep bottles in a dark place or, at the very least, store them in containers or shelves that protect the wine from light.

To some, 55 degrees may seem too cold to drink, especially for red wines straight from the wine cellar or wine fridge. When you want to open a bottle, let the bottle come to room temperature by decanting the wine or leaving it on the table for a few minutes.

For white, rosé, dessert, and sparkling wines, you can do one of two things: place the bottle in a bucket of ice to cool it a few degrees more, or place it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before serving. Just don't add ice cubes to the wine in a glass – it will dilute the liquid and mute the flavors.

After having kept that precious bottle for a considerable period, you finally open it and enjoy its contents, but you are unable to finish the bottle. In this case, there are some good practices to keep opened wine in good condition. The secret is to limit the wine's contact with oxygen, as this can turn it into vinegar.

Many people simply replace the cork in the bottle, but this practice is not recommended. Firstly, the cork is not airtight, which allows oxygen to enter. Additionally, the cork may break and fragments may fall into the liquid when the bottle is opened again.

Instead, the most effective method is to use a vacuum pump to extract as much air as possible from the bottle, then store it upright in the refrigerator, away from light. The vacuum pump helps seal the wine, reducing the amount of oxygen present. Placing the bottle in an upright position limits the wine's contact area with air compared to a tilted bottle. Furthermore, it is essential to protect the wine from light, which can accelerate spoilage.

This way, the wine can remain in good condition for a period of three to five days. There are similar vacuum systems designed specifically for sparkling wines, which help preserve bubbles and prevent bottle pressurization.

This method is also ideal for those who like to drink wine sporadically, in small quantities. However, it is important to note that, in this case, the cork should never be removed. The preservation system is used with the cork in place, so this option must be chosen before removing the cork with the corkscrew.

Like liquor, fortified styles of wine, including Madeira, Sherry, and Vermouth, can be kept on a bar cart as long as the room remains at a reasonable temperature. These styles of wine have been fortified with alcohol, which acts as a preservative.

Many of these wines can technically remain open for a few years, although you will get the best quality by consuming them within a few months. For Ports, it varies according to the style. Vintage ports should be stored like red wines in the refrigerator for a few days while Tawny styles are good for two months.

By following these basic storage guidelines, you will provide the best possible conditions for your wine to remain delicious and preserve its unique characteristics over time. This way, you will be able to fully enjoy each bottle, whether consumed within a few months or stored for many years.