How to store wine before and after uncorking?
We talked about pairings with wine and new vintages, but what is the best way to store the wine at home before and after uncorking it?
Here are 4 golden rules to keep in mind:
Before the opening
1) Choose a cool place with constant temperature
It is essential that wine bottles are stored in cool environments, with constant temperatures, neither too low nor too high. Changes in temperature can cause damage in wine, hindering its evolution or, in case of high temperatures, speeding up its aging. Therefore, we do not recommend to store wine in the balcony, kitchen and attic.
So what is the right temperature?
Each wine has its ideal temperatures:
Red wine between 12° and 15° C
White wine between 10° and 14° C
Sparkling wine between 10° and 12° C
If the environment is just one, it would be ideal to keep the temperature within 10° C.
2) Choose a dark place
The light is the worst enemy of wine because it can alter it, degrade and prematurely age wine. So it is important to avoid the wine coming into contact with direct light, both natural and artificial, for long periods.
3) Arrange the bottles in a horizontal position
To rest in an ideal way even the wine wants to lie down!
Wine bottles should be kept in a horizontal position, to facilitate the contact between wine and cork. In this way the cork will keep the humidity and the adherence to the neck of the bottle, thus avoiding to dry, and in the worst cases to let the air enter inside the bottle, causing the oxidation of the wine, and therefore, its deterioration and loss of freshness.
N.B: this rule does not apply to bottles with synthetic or screw caps.
4) Keep the wine away from loud noises and smells
Who can rest well with loud noises?!
Even wine needs quiet; avoid subjecting bottles to vibrations or loud noises, or sudden changes of position.
Moreover, it is better not to keep the wine inside pantries with other foods with strong smells: the cork may not be able to keep the wine untainted.
Therefore, the ideal solution to better store wines is an electric wine cellar, which in some models allows you to select a different temperature per shelf.
After opening, if you do not finish the bottle, how to store the wine?
Each wine has its own ideal life cycle and consumption.
Usually sparkling wines, whites and rose wines have a shorter life cycle and consumption than reds, but there are exceptions.
For sparkling wines – such as our Cuvée Federico – and fizzy wines we suggest to taste them within 3 days from opening, keeping them in the refrigerator with stopper or hermetic caps in order to preserve the wine from carbon dioxide loss.
White wines, rose wines and medium-sweet white wines – this category includes our Don Ros, Vibrazioni and Disìo – can last from 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator. Always close them with a cork!
In the case of important white and red wines – such as our Gaudis reds -, if stored in a cool and dark place, and closed with cork, they can be kept for up to 5 days.
If you’ve come this far, you might be wondering if all the wines should be properly stored: the answer is Yes!
If it is bold wines with aging potential, there is no doubt. On the other hand, if the wine gives its best when uncorked young, the right storage can however guarantee that it preserves all its organoleptic qualities in the span of time, even if it is short, from the exit from the winery to the moment when you uncork it to taste it.
An example of young and fresh wines?
Take a look at our Don Ros and Vibrations lines.
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