Storing a Wine without Wine Fridge & Cellar [Special Tricks]
You brought a bottle of wine home and want to store it for upcoming days but don’t have a wine fridge or cellars.
We all know that storing your wine in the right place can maximize its flavor, and we must ensure that we keep it in the right spot.
Worry not.
What if I told you I got you covered with 5 different options to store your wine, and you don’t need any fancy wine fridge or cellars.
I guess I cheered you up.
In this article, I have shared the factors that affect wine and how to effectively store your favorite wine before popping its cork.
Factors to Consider while Storing Wine
Before knowing the 5 alternative ways to store your wine without wine fridges and cellars, you should know the basic factors to care of.
Storing Temperature
The most significant factor when storing wine at home is temperature. You should keep wine between 8°C and 18°C (with 12°C being close to ideal); anything higher will age it much more quickly than you want and can cause flat flavors and aromas.
Don’t store your wine in the regular fridge for too long; it will cause the corks to dry out and let air into the bottle, resulting in oxidation.
Light
Does light also affect long-term storage? Yes, especially sunlight.
This is why producers use colored glass bottles – it helps protect the contents.
Make sure to keep the wine out of the sun. Other factors like fluorescent bulbs emit small amounts of ultraviolet light, so avoid them if you don’t want your light bulbs to fade.
Humidity Rules
Do you live in a dry climate? Then you might want to use a humidifier. And in humid areas, you’ll need a dehumidifier. Dry air can cause corks to shrink and let air into the container, spoiling the wine. This is unlikely to happen to you unless you live in the desert. And if moisture is lacking and humidity levels drop below 50 percent, corks dry out, losing liquid and affecting wine quality.
Wines should be kept between 50-80% humidity, which keeps the cork from drying out, but not so humid that mold grows.
No Vibrations
You read that right, vibrations!
Wine bottles should have as little vibration as possible. Vibration reduces aromatics in wine by increasing propanol levels. As a result of too much vibration, isoamyl alcohol is also raised, which enhances acetone notes. It’s all about the vibes.
How to Store Unopened Wine without Wine Fridge
You can store unopened wines without a wine fridge as long as you follow these steps
Using a Regular Fridge to Store Wine
Those who don’t own a wine fridge typically store wine in their kitchen refrigerators. Even so, it’s not the best place to store long-term bottles.
When it comes to wine storage, 55°F is the ideal temperature, but kitchen fridges tend to fall well below that, typically around 45°F. Your wines will age differently if you do this. And if a wine is kept for too long in the refrigerator, the cork could begin to dry out, causing the wine to spoil.
So should we store wine in the refrigerator? Well, yes and no, both.Yes when it comes to storing wines that will be consumed within a couple of weeks of purchase.
Neither the cooler temperature nor the higher humidity level will be able to destroy the wines in this amount of time. After a long day at work, your favorite glass of house wine will be just fine in the fridge.
Drawers & Cabinets
In drawers and cabinets, wine can be stored without being exposed to heat. In addition to keeping your wines safe and secure, they shield them from direct sunlight.
It is recommended to use bottom drawers and cabinets rather than higher ones. Since heat rises, the closer you are to the ground, the better.
Box it Up
For those unable to build the cellar of our dreams, cardboard boxes are fine for storage. By placing the wine bottles in a cardboard box on their sides, you’ll keep the corks moist and protect them from drying out while also protecting them from light.
Wine Racks
Storage racks are suitable for long- and short-term storage because they can be placed anywhere, whether in a dark closet or a damp basement.
Wine racks are usually stackable, solving the space issue, so many of us are facing. To prevent the cork from drying out, wine bottles should always be stored lying on their sides. Keeping the liquid in contact with the cork allows sediment to settle more easily.
When laid down, wine racks keep bottles from rolling around. Certain wine racks can even be mounted directly to the wall, saving space. Your wine bottles will be displayed beautifully and easily accessible, even in a coat closet.
Under Bed or Couch
Yes, bed or couch can also be used to keep your wines out of the way, and in a slightly cooler temperature, keep them underneath the bed or couch.
How to Store Opened Wine without Wine Fridge
Whether the wine is open or not, it is always best to store it in a wine fridge to keep it at the correct temperature of 55°F. However, if you don’t have a wine fridge, you can do these things to keep it in good condition.
It usually takes 3-5 days for a wine to spoil after it is opened. Opened wines should be stored in the refrigerator rather than on wine racks or the counter.
The cold temperature will not stop the wine from spoiling completely, it is somewhat similar to perishable foods. Once they’re opened, we refrigerate them.
But if you have a recurring problem of not being able to finish wine once you open it, then you can use coravin. With the Coravin, you can enjoy a glass of wine at once without worrying about finishing the entire bottle.
Using Coravin to Hold the Essence of Wine
The Coravin is specifically designed to hold and serve your favorite wines. It can be used to serve wine without opening the bottle.
This is done by inserting a needle through the cork, which removes the desired amount of wine. Then, argon gas is pushed into the bottle.
A gentle layer of argon gas protects the wine from oxygen in the bottle. As a naturally occurring gas, argon does not affect wine at all. It creates a barrier that helps preserve the wine’s flavor without altering it.
However, not all wines have corks. Every year, screw caps gain popularity as more and more wineries realize how much money they save and how convenient they are. In addition to being cheaper than corks, screw caps prevent a fair amount of wine from getting corked.
Screw caps seal the bottle completely, whereas corks have small pores that allow oxygen to leak into the bottle. It is also important to note that corks are more sensitive to moisture or a lack thereof. Using screw caps does not cause this problem.
It’s not a problem to keep screw-capped bottles open for a long time with WineSave. A small rubber nozzle is used to spray argon gas directly into the bottle, and that’s all there is to WineSave. It’s not too expensive if you’re on a budget, extremely easy to use, and lasts for a long time with up to 150 uses! And with the added advantage of preserving the wine’s flavor and aroma for an extended period, Winesave is truly a product worth considering if you value the taste of your wine.
After all this, is Wine Fridge Needed?
The fact is that wines age best when stored in a cool, dark, and humid environment. Wine fridges provide an ideal environment for wines to age and develop their flavors, aromas, and complexity.
The truth is that many people do not think owning a wine fridge is worth it, but on the contrary, if you spend more than a certain amount of money on wine every month. There are a few things to consider, though.
Price
How much do you spend on wine annually? For example, if you spend $500 per year on wine, a wine fridge will pay for itself in just a few years, as it helps preserve your wine’s quality.
A wine fridge is worth the investment if your annual wine-buying budget is less than 25%. As well as protecting wines from environmental factors, wine fridges are efficient and affordable.
The only way to achieve perfect cellaring conditions without installing a cellar in your home is to purchase a wine fridge.
Space
Space is another issue that stops one from getting a wine fridge. But not for you, because we have shared 8 places where you can keep your wine fridge, which will increase the room’s ambiance.
For instance, if you have a tiny kitchen, it may not be possible to accommodate a wine fridge. In this case, you can choose Small Wine Fridges, which will best fit the area.
If like me, these two factors aren’t a deal with you, then there is no doubt that investing in a wine fridge is worthwhile. It ensures that your bottles age beautifully while maintaining their structure and balance.
Conclusion
With the right storage solutions, you can create a successful wine collection with or without a wine fridge.
By considering the above steps, you can preserve wine and build your dream wine collection. Cheers to that!