Living in a small apartment doesn’t mean you cannot store a small-but-mighty wine collection, nor maintain the shape of those bottles. You can still do it as long as you know exactly how you are going to do it. Several wines are enjoyed right after they bought but there are reasons to store most of the wines you purchase: You find a wine you really adore, you buy because of the case, you take wines with you at home from trips and you couldn’t possibly consume all you buy in one day or even weeks or month. If you live in a tiny apartment or house, you must know what is the best way on how to store wine in an apartment. This will allow you to enjoy it in a few months or even several years.
If you are reading this article, then you are probably living in a small apartment. Also, it is possible that you are planning to live in an apartment and you happen to be a wine lover. Whatever your reason is, you are in the right place. We will understand the importance of storing wines. In addition to that, we will also give you some tips on how to store wine in an apartment in a proper way.
How to Store Wine in an Apartment: What Type of Wine Is Worth Storing?
Before anything else, if a wine comes with a screw cap, it must be opened instantly and must be placed straight into your refrigerator. Today’s consumers normally choose to enjoy their wines right away after purchasing them. They instantly open it anytime and anywhere from thirty minutes to a month or so. And there is nothing wrong with it!
Red wines are popular, all over the world, because of their ability to age, a method that does not basically maintain a wine’s taste and character. In addition to that, a wine transforms as it gets old. They normally get a softness to its tannins and a maturity to its fruit. For the outcome to be what they must be, the wine should be placed in a stable place that is neither too cold nor too hot. It is extremely disappointing to open a bottle you’ve taken care of and stored for a long time only to find out that it has just gone off. Just like that.
Contrary to popular belief, several white wines also age faster. Yet, they change and you need to ask yourself if, for instance, you’ve ever tasted a well-aged white wine and, if yes, did you like how it tastes?
How to Store Wine in an Apartment?
Whether you purchased a wine you are not planning to drink right away or you plan to give it to a special person, you must know how to store wine in an apartment.
Before that, it is important to know that a very small percentage of fine wines are best to drink when they aged. The truth is that most wines are enjoyed within a couple of years after releasing in the market. In the event that you are looking for wines that you will store for yours, invest in high-end storage.
For everyone else, however, following basic guidelines, will keep your wine secure until the time comes when you are ready to drink it. Here are some ways on how to store wine in an apartment:
🍷KEEP IT COOL
Heat is the main opponent of most wines. Temperatures higher than 60° F will age wine more instantly than what is normally needed. Furthermore, if the temperature increases, your wine might get “overcooked,”. This will result in bad aromas and flavors. The perfect temperature range is along 47° F and 67° F (and 55° F is normally cited as almost perfect). However, take note that this isn’t a perfect science. Don’t get frustrated too much if your place runs a couple degrees hotter, as long as you plan to open the bottles within a few months or years from their release.
🍷 BUT NOT SO COOL
Keeping wines inside your household refrigerator is okay but only for up to a few months. This is because it’s not beneficial in the longer term. The standard fridge temperature falls right below 45° F to securely store goods, and less moisture can instantly dry the corks. As a result, this might permit the air to enter into the bottles and ruin the quality wine. Aside from that, make sure not to store your wine in a place that it could freeze (an unheated place in winter, forgotten for several hours inside the freezer). If the wine starts changing to ice, it can expand enough to push out the cork.
🍷STABILITY IS A MUST
More important than thinking about getting a perfect 55° F is keeping from the landmines of quick, extreme, or frequent temperature changes. On top of cooked flavors, the expansion and shrinking of the wine that is inside the bottle may push the cork out or may leed to seepage. Opt for stability. However, be careful not to get paranoid regarding small temperature changes. Wines may see worse while transporting from the winery to the store. (Even if heat has lead the liquid to seep out past the cork, that doesn’t necessarily mean the quality of the wine is gone. It is impossible to know it unless you open the bottle—it could still taste amazing.)
🍷 TURN THE LIGHTS OFF
A lot of people do not know about this. As a matter of fact, they think that lights are important when it comes to storing your wine. Light, most importantly direct sunlight, can cause potential harm for long-term storage of your wine. This is primarily because the harmful rays of the sun can ruin and prematurely age the wine. Do you know one of the many reasons why vintners prefer to use colored wine glass bottles? This is because they serve as sunglasses for wine. The liquid inside the bottle needs protection from the UV rays.
It is safe for your wine to get exposed to artificial light from time to time. Light from household bulbs probably won’t ruin the wine itself but can damage your labels in the future. Incandescent bulbs might be a better option compared to fluorescent bulbs. The latter does emit very tiny amounts of ultraviolet light.
🍷DO NOT SWEAT THE HUMIDITY
The traditional saying says that wines must be placed at a suitable humidity level of 70 percent. The theory goes that the air that is not moist enough will dry out the corks. If a cork gets dry, it will allow air to pass through the wine bottle and ruin the taste and quality of the wine. Yes, this is highly possible. Unless you live in a desert or in extremely hot conditions, it usually won’t occur to you. (Or if you’re storing wine bottles for 8 or more years, but then it is important to remind yourself about the matter on professional storage.)
🍷SEE THINGS IN BOTH SIDES
Normally, bottles have been placed on their sides so as to maintain the liquid to reach the top or the cork. Theoretically speaking, this will prevent the cork from drying out. If you’re thinking of consuming these bottles of wine within a couple of years, or if you have substitute closures (screwcaps, glass or plastic corks), this is not needed. We will advise you this, however: storing your wine in a horizontal way instead of vertical is safe for your wine and cork. Not only that,it will also save you plenty of space.
🍷 THERE SHOULD NOT BE PLENTY OF SHAKING
There are sayings that vibration or even small movements may damage wine in the long run by dashing up the chemical reactions in the wine. Some expert collectors stated that even the mild vibrations produced by electronic appliances may jeopardize the quality of your wine. However, there are not enough studies to support this claim. Certain vibrations could likely ruin the sediment in more mature wines and prevent them from settling. As a result, this will potentially make them unpleasantly gritty. But if you currently stay above a train station or are hosting rock concerts, this will not most likely be a problem for you.
How to Store Wine in an Apartment? So where should I keep my bottles?
In case you haven’t been given a cool, not-too-moist basement that can make twice as a cellar, you can think of your own way to come up with some basic racks in a secure place. Make sure to not include your kitchen, laundry room, or boiler room. This is where temperatures are hot and can ruin your wine. Furthermore, search for a place that is not close in line with minimal pouring from a window. Aside from that, you could also purchase a compact and budget-friendly wine cooler and follow the same tips and guidelines.
In the event you place your wine fridge in a low-temperature place, it won’t have to work so hard. As a result, it will keep your energy bill low.
Maybe there is a slightly used cabinet or another free storage area that can be reused for wine storage? If you have a perfectly dark, stable space that’s not too moist or dry, but is too warm, you should consider purchasing a standalone cooling model specifically created as wine storage. There are some budget-friendly systems for tiny spaces, yet in the majority of cases, this may be classified under the expert wine storage.
When is the perfect time to level up your wine storage? Ask yourself the question, “How much did I spend last year on my wine storage?” If a $1,000 cooling storage model represents below 25 percent of your yearly wine budget, it’s the best time to think about it more seriously. You also have to protect your investment.
If I want to buy a wine cooler, what should I look for?
Wine coolers are, at their most basic, detached models created to keep a stable temperature. In most cases, one that is safe for serving long-term storage. On the other hand, a wine cellar is a cabinet or the while room that is used as a wine storage in excellent conditions for long-term wine maturing. A stable temperature (about 55° F), with moisture control and some method to prevent the wine from light and vibration exposure.
Wine cooler units differ depending on how much access you’ll gain to your wine bottles. That being said, consider both how clear you’ll be able to see what’s inside it, and how simple it will be to geta bottle whenever you want a drink. Are the bottles covered properly? Are there shelves that slide out? It is important to consider the size and shape of the wine bottles that you want to collect. Furthermore, also consider how the bottles will perfectly fit into the racks—are sufficient space, is it tall or oddly shaped. Basically, will they even fit at all?
The door itself is something for you to think carefully. Is it more necessary for you to see the inside of the storage or protect them from harmful rays of the sun? Do you prefer it to be clear, tempered, slightly covered, double-paned, or protected from UV rays? Make sure the door opens on the right side for where you’re going to store it—not every model consists of volatile doors. Lastly, there are models that have locks or even alarms. This is suitable if the wines you are planning to store there are too expensive.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we discussed that there are only few wines that are worth storing for years. We also discussed some tips on how to store wine in an apartment. It is important to follow the above-mentioned tips if you are really serious about wine aging. Remember to take note of places to avoid, proper temperature, light and vibration exposure, and the stability. You must control these as it will ruin the quality of your wine.
