Storing wine is the focus of this part of our wine 101 guide...

A simple method of wine storage is to keep your bottles sideways in a dark place away from heat or light. If you do this, youll be able to keep your wine for longer because the flavors won't be damaged. Still, learning a bit more about wine storage can help you maximize your wines quality.

When it comes to preserving wine, temperature is the thing that makes the most difference. Keeping your wines between 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal; though a range of 45 to 65 degrees is considered acceptable. If your temperature is too low, your wine will not age properly. Whereas, warmer temperatures can cause wine to age prematurely (not in a good way).

Fluctuating temperatures hurt wines the most. It's much better to keep your wine at a constant temperature, even if it is too high or too low, than to subject it to large fluctuations every day. The temperature should never fluctuate more than 5 degrees a day, especially with red wines, which suffer more temperature-related problems than white wines.

Keeping track of humidity is also important in wine storage; if the air in the storage area is too dry, the corks of your bottles will dry out, and the air will come in contact with the wine and damage it. You want to aim for a humidity level of around 70 - 80% and can purchase a hygrometer to track this.

A wine cellar is the ideal place for storing wine because it maintains the optimal humidity and temperature; however, they aren't practical for most people because of their size and cost. A basement or garage can be used to get similar results though. Making some space in either and purchasing a wine rack and temperature / humidity gauge are highly recommended if you intend on storing more than a few bottles of wine at a time.

As for how long to store it for, this depends on the type of wine, the region the wine was made in, the technique used to make it, and the particular year the grapes were harvested in. In general though, you should drink whites quickly and age reds for five to 10 years. If you're starting out, consult a free online aging chart to to assist you with this aspect of wine storage.

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