Wine lovers and wine collectors would agree that storing wine is a more complex art than making it. Different varieties of wines require different storage conditions.
The taste and aroma of wines are maintained for years by storing them in special rooms where the right conditions, such as temperature, light exposure and humidity, are maintained. These rooms, called wine cellars (ห้อง เก็บ ไวน์, which means the term in Thai), have been in existence from about over 35000 years. These days not all wine lovers can maintain a wine cellar, so there are wine storage service providers who will keep your wine safe and in form until you plan to savor them.
Conditions To Preserve Wine
Three major factors contribute to properly preserving wines to keep their taste, aroma and color intact – temperature, humidity and light. Let’s discuss these first then we will go through a few additional factors that preservers take care of.
· Temperature
This is considered as the most important factor in wine storage. Different wines require different storage temperatures. White wines are best preserved in temperatures ranging from 6 to 12 degree Celsius while temperatures ranging from 14 to 16 degrees Celsius are optimum for red wines. A slight compromise in the storage temperature can result in the denaturation or aging of wines, which eventually could result in the flattening of the notes of taste and aroma.
· Humidity
Experts believe the optimum humidity level for wine preservation has to be between 50{51770bc708b045fac77a8325ad06bcb307cecc80a349eab62160194e87d2e16f} and 70{51770bc708b045fac77a8325ad06bcb307cecc80a349eab62160194e87d2e16f}. If the storage space is not sufficiently humid, it may result in drying or cork stoppers generally used in wine bottles. The dried corks will shrink, and air will make its way to the wine, which any wine lover will not want to happen as it spoils the taste. Also, excess humidity promotes the growth of molds. But that will not affect the tightly secured wines, but the cork and label would get affected. Humidifiers and dehumidifiers are taken into use to maintain optimum humidity levels.
· Light
Sun exposure can be a hindrance in the long-term storage of wines. The UV radiations pace the aging of wine and not all wines are meant to be aged equally! This is a potential reason behind the dark colors of wine bottles.
Apart from these major factors, there are also a few details that wine keepers pay heed to, such as the vibrations or shaking, as they believe this will result in premature aging of wine because if you are a wine enthusiast, you will agree to it- it’s all about the details in beauty and wine!
Conclusion
Wine collecting is a hobby that wine enthusiasts are fond of. But not all wines you collect are going on the table soon. So to store the wines and preserve their taste, color and aroma, you need to take the cake of the required conditions. Wine-storing rooms called wine cellars are where wines are stored, preserved and cherished by maintaining the right conditions.
