Nigel Cart, former CEO of Oriel Wines, offers the following advice to ensure proper preservation of wine:
- Store wine away from direct light, which can damage or prematurely age your wine. Ultraviolet light can even penetrate dark-colored glass and impart unpleasant aromas.
- Optimum long-term storage temperature is 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit, and sudden dramatic changes in temperature should be avoided. That said, wine will likely last for a year or two between 40 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, as long as changes in temperature are gradual rather than sudden.
- Humidity should be between 50 and 80 percent so that the cork doesn't dry out and crumble or lose its seal.
- Store wine on its side rather than upright to keep the cork damp.
- Wine should be stored in a calm place, as excessive vibration can disturb the sediment and damage the wine.
- Face the label upward so that you don't disturb the bottle to check what it is.
- Store all wine accessibly so that you're not constantly moving it to get to the bottle you want to drink.