Wine is a wonderful gift to give to your loved ones, friends or even acquaintances: it has health benefits, looks beautiful on a shelf, and comes at different price points. From Vandenberg Wine to Robert Oatley, it’s hard for anyone to pass up a beautiful bottle of vino as a holiday present.

On top of that, wine can last a long time, especially when stored properly. As the saying goes, some things get better with age! While investing in professional-grade wine storage may be out of most of our means, there are several handy tips you can implement to make your wine last longer. If you’ve received wine as a gift this holiday season, here are our suggestions on how to properly store wine and enhance its quality.

Keep at the Right Temperature

The first thing you need to remember before storing wine is the temperature: environments too warm or too cold can spoil it.

DO:

Store your precious wine around 13ºC (55ºF). This is the sweet spot in both long-term and short-term storage.

Remember that it never hurts to check the label first or ask the brand for precise instructions to ensure it’s stored at the right temperature.

DON’T:

Keep wine below -4ºC (25 °F). Leaving it in this very cold condition will eventually freeze the liquid inside.

Leave wine in areas that reach temperatures above 20°C (68°F). This will only speed up the aging process, drastically changing the wine’s taste, aroma and quality.

It’s advised to keep the storage temperature stable at all times to prevent the cork from expanding and contracting. This allows air to seep in or out of the bottle, giving it a vinegar-y quality over time.

Watch Out for the Humidity

Aside from temperature, you also need to watch out for the humidity of your wine storage. High or low humidity can greatly impact your wine’s shelf life.

High Humidity:

Causes labels to eventually peel off from the bottoms, leaving bottles harder to display and sell. On top of that, the brand and type of wine will be forgotten.

Can foster the growth of moulds in your wine.

Low Humidity:

Similarly to hot temperatures, can dry out the corks and spoil the wine.

The ideal humidity for your storage is 70%, but anything between 50-80% is considered safe. You can place a container of water in the storage to help with low humidity, and for high humidity concerns, placing a dehumidifier nearby will do wonders.

Store Horizontally Instead of Vertically

While bottles are usually stored upright at bottle shops and bars, it’s always advised to store wine horizontally to keep the wine cork moist and prevent oxygen from coming in. Bottles with screw caps, glass or plastic corks, however, are fine to keep stored vertically, as the alternate closures prevent oxygen by acting as a seal.

We absolutely recommend storing any wine sideways to not only keep the cork moist, but to capitalise on a great storage hack that saves space and gives you easier access for those wine-accompanied dinners.

Keep Bottles Away from Light and Vibration

It’s recommended to keep your wine in a dark place no matter how long you’re planning to store it. UV rays from the sun are harmful to your wine, degrading and worsening its flavours and aromas while prematurely aging it. Fun fact: wine bottles are always coloured glass because it acts as a shield—in other words, sunglasses—from the UV rays of the sun.

Aside from light, make sure that your wine bottles are away from vibration from electric appliances, such as dryers and washers. It may disturb the sediment in the bottle, making the wine gritty.

Tick all the Boxes in the Wine Storage Requirements

Investing in a wine cooler is costly, so why not just improvise with what you have at home? Choose a safe place and add racks where you can easily store wine sideways. Avoid the kitchen, boiler room or any place that has extreme temperatures and humidity. Also, stay away from windows to prevent light from hitting your wine bottles.

Choose a small closet and convert it into your little wine nook. As long as the space is dark, dry and stable, you’re good to go!

Enjoy Wine from the Finest Brands

Even without the professional equipment to keep wine, following the tips above will make sure that you can enjoy all the wonderful wine gifts you received over the holidays for months or years to come.

One of the best presents to give and receive is wine from the finest brands in Australia. Access is lucky to work with four brands that produce some of the best wines in the country. Have a sip from the iconic Australian, family-owned brand, Robert Oatley and share the generations of stories and warmth with Vanderburg Wine. You can also enjoy wine from vineyards that experience the ideal climate for premium grape growing from Paulett Wines, or experience wine from one of the top eight wineries of Australia, Burge Family Winemakers.

All wines under Access Corporate Group are premium, high quality and come at different price points. Toast to the holidays, your achievements, and life’s moments with us. Check out the brands we have under our belt and enjoy authentic ingredients, premium quality and innovation for your loved ones. It’s wine o’clock somewhere, right?