5 places you should never keep a bottle of wine, according to experts

for you Bottle of wine As good as the conditions in which they are stored. While we often follow general rules like avoiding direct sunlight and seeking cool, dry places, you may be committing a number of wine crimes without even realizing it – known as To pour Decisions.

Fortunately, I spoke with Liz Martinez, the general manager and sommelier at… Centrolina in Washington, D.C., as well as Becky Miller, advanced sommelier and beverage director in Las Vegas Karama by Wolfgang Puckreminding us what it takes to ensure that their quality and integrity are maintained with every piece of cork.

Here are the top tips and warnings for proper wine storage.

1. Top of the refrigerator

Although you may have ample space to place bottles or stack them on top of your refrigerator, that’s not ideal.

“Refrigerators constantly give off heat and vibrate, which accelerates the aging process and reduces quality,” explains Miller. “You don’t need specialized equipment to store wine well. You just need the least bad option.”

“My solution is simple: boxes of wine on the floor of an interior closet, with the bottles stored on their sides,” she says. “This prevents the cork from drying out and protects the wine from light and vibration. I also store the wine in a box under the bed, which provides a dark, quiet and relatively stable environment without taking up valuable space.”

2. In fact, most of the cuisine is off-limits

Sure, it might make sense to move the bottles on top of the refrigerator to the cabinets, but the kitchen is a room that sees frequent changes in temperature, light, and activity.

“Try not to keep wine in the kitchen,” Martinez advises. “There are a lot of items and appliances that can put off heat outside the stove. In fact, placing wine near any appliance (other than a wine refrigerator) is not a good idea.”

Miller echoes these sentiments, adding that “kitchen cabinets may seem like a good solution because they are dark, but kitchens suffer from frequent temperature fluctuations.”

“Ovens and dishwashers overheat, and these fluctuations are particularly damaging over time,” she says. “Garages are another common mistake. Daily and seasonal fluctuations in temperature make them among the least stable environments for wine. These fluctuations are often worse for the wine than being too warm or too cold. Wine values ​​consistency above all else.”

Read more: Sip or skip? Everything you need to know about the shelf life of opened wine

4. In the car

One of the biggest threats to wine quality is the journey from the store to home.

“Care should start the moment the wine leaves the store,” Miller emphasizes. “Wine is particularly vulnerable during transportation, especially in warm weather. Leaving bottles in the trunk of a car while running errands, even for an hour or two, can expose them to temperatures much higher than the wine can withstand.”

On warm days, for example, the temperature of a parked car can easily exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit, effectively “cooking” the wine even before it is opened.

“Whenever possible, wine should be the last stop on your to-do list, and bottles should be brought inside immediately. In hotter climates, an insulated bag can help limit exposure during the drive home,” she suggests.

5. Somewhere ’til he “gets old”

It’s a myth that most wines taste better with age. Instead, most wines should be opened and enjoyed immediately.

“Some wines are meant to be drunk when they’re young and fresh. Not all wines are meant for aging,” Martinez says. “It’s important to understand the difference. If you sit down on wine that’s meant to be drunk right away, your wine will lose everything that’s good in it.”

“Wines like the more impressive Burgundy or Bordeaux, or even Napa Cabernet, will need some aging, versus the everyday wine you pick up at the grocery store,” she adds. “Understanding this distinction and doing a little homework will save you the heartache of losing wine that could have been enjoyed at the right time.”

It’s important to keep this in mind with any new purchases, as you will have less flexibility with bottles intended for long-term storage.

“A bottle you hold on Tuesday to open on Friday doesn’t need the same care as a case brought home from the winery or a meaningful bottle you save for a future celebration,” Miller says. “Short-term storage is forgiving, long-term storage requires a little more intention.”

As a general guide, full-bodied red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and fortified wines like Port or Madeira tend to handle less-than-ideal conditions better. More delicate wines such as Champagne, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling are sensitive to heat and fluctuations and will show damage sooner.

You don’t need a wine refrigerator, but it can certainly help

If collecting bottles has piqued your interest, especially while traveling to wine countries around the world, a wine refrigerator is not essential. However, dedicated wine refrigerators can be provided for A few hundred dollars And take the guesswork out of proper wine storage.

“There are plenty of places around the house to store wine that will help protect it,” Martinez says. “Cool, dark places like a closet or perhaps under the (work) stairs. The basement is also a good option, as long as it’s not a damp area.”

Aim for these temperatures

While it can be difficult to control consistent temperature and climate in a typical home, most bottles have a “sweet spot” for temperature.

According to Miller, wine should be stored in the dark at a temperature between 50 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit, with as little shaking as possible and as little temperature fluctuation as possible.

“This doesn’t mean perfection is required,” she explains. However, “if a wine tastes flat, dull, or oddly old, storage or transportation is often the culprit, not the product or price.”

“More specifically, you can go a little cooler for whites and sparkles,” Martinez adds, recommending sticking to around 45 degrees Fahrenheit for whites and “cooler to the touch for whites and sparkles.”

When it comes to serving wine, she recommends about 40 degrees F for sparkling and white wines and about 60 degrees F for reds.

“A lower room temperature is great for red wine,” she says. “It really helps the wine develop nicely in the glass if you take it out of the wine refrigerator and let it warm naturally.”