How to Store Wine

What Is Proper Wine Storage?

This is How to Store Wine:

Temperature should remain between 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit
Humidity should be kept around 65%, relative to the temperature
Limit exposure to ultra-violet light
Keep the bottles horizontal, so the wine stays in contact with the cork and preserves the seal.

Regardless of where you choose to store it, make sure the environmental conditions adhere closely to these four guidelines. Storage conditions should be kept constant, as frequent or large fluctuations in storage conditions will damage the wine.

Benefits make the difference.

Here are some important factors to consider when selecting a wine storage facility:

We offer 7 day-a-week access, 5AM to 10PM, so your wine is available to you when you need it
We have the highest quality security, designed to match, if not exceed, the value of your collection
We provide free access to wireless internet and a computer for you to access your on-line cellar management software
We accept wine shipments on your behalf and store them safely for you, thus eliminating those pesky trips to the FedEx shipping center to retrieve your wine deliveries, which require an adult signature
Last, but by no means least, are the creature comforts, like our Amoroso Room where you can gather and enjoy a glass of wine with a fellow connoisseur or wine interest group; it is located its own room, removed from the chilly cellar.

Hopefully, with these tips you will continue to enjoy your vintages at their anticipated maturity dates for many years to come!

Wine storage frequently asked questions:

Only some wine storage options will allow wine to age properly to its anticipated maturity date.

With proper storage, wine can be a fantastic investment. A few bottles of a current vintage from a notable producer, if stored properly, will likely improve in quality and value over time. It can also prove a far better investment than purchasing the same vintage after it has already matured.

No matter how many bottles you may have, there are specific conditions in which you should store your wine in order to allow it to age properly. Perhaps your wine is already stored in a closet or in the crawl space of your home. These storage options may be affordable and readily accessible, but they will most likely not allow your wine to age to its full potential. In some instances, these storage conditions may even hurt the wine in the short run.

Wine storage options range from small to large, both in cost and physical footprint, and include wine refrigerators, wine caves and home cellars, and offsite wine storage like ours.

Wine refrigerators are an economical option that can fit in your house or your garage. They typically cost between $300 and $3,500, and can store 10 to 250 bottles. Wine refrigerators will store wine at a constant temperature and in a horizontal position; but they do not offer humidity control, nor can they often accommodate larger champagne, pinot, or large-format bottles such as magnums.

Wine caves and home cellars are larger storage options, both in capacity and physical footprint. The bottles are stored similarly to other storage options, but home cellars and caves offer the added luxury of custom racking systems configured to hold many different bottle sizes. Their cost ranges from $4,000 to $50,000, or more, though the compressors and/or humidifiers that control the environmental conditions can wear out. Replacing them can add significantly to the cost of ownership.

Offsite wine storage is an option that easily meets each one of the proper storage guidelines. Our storage facility is specifically designed to accommodate wine, with state-of-the art equipment such as air-conditioners, humidifiers, and sophisticated security equipment. We offer a variety of storage locker sizes, allowing you to expand as your collection grows, or to take advantage of special pricing on a bulk-purchase opportunity, and we offer racking systems suited to your personal collection in many of the larger sizes.

Call or visit Wine Storage Bellevue today, for more information and personal tour.

+1 425-453-1958