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It is important to keep a wine collection protected from its enemies: air, extreme temperatures, humidity and light.
Air is public enemy number one. Allowing air to get past the cork can turn a wine sour. Storing wine by laying each bottle on its side will keep the cork wet and securely in place.
Storing wine on its side has an added benefit of keeping the label facing up. Not only can this help collectors to quickly identify each wine, but it will also protect against label damage. This helps the value as a damaged labels decrease the value of wines.
Temperature needs to be consistent and is one of the most important factors in preserving wines. Wines stored in an environment that is too warm can age faster and result in a loss of flavor. Wines stored in an environment that is too cool can result in shrinkage of the cork and allow air to get into the bottle. The perfect storage temperature is around 55 F.
Storing wine in a conventional refrigerator is not a good idea. Not only is the humidity kept at 20% which is too low, the temperature is not consistent. The temperature in a fridge will rise until it hits its desired mark and then shut off and turn on again when it gets too low.
Humidity is another important consideration. If the humidity is too low it can result in a shrinking cork and if it's too high mold will begin to build up. The perfect humidity for great tasting wine is right around 70%.
Light can prematurely age wine. Store wine bottles in a dark space like a cellar or basement to avoid exposure to sunlight and UV rays.
Advocate Brokerage can provide a designated policy that will cover your wines in the event of fire, theft, flood, breakage and earthquakes as well as offer protection for temperature regulation system failure or breakage during transit. Contact Advocate Brokerage to get covered.
