Starting a collection of quality wines at home does not require a large cellar. To get off to a good start, you need to know how to keep drinks in good condition.
Having a cellar to store your bottle collection is a goal for wine lovers. Those famous underground brick caves are ideal for the wine to age properly and be preserved over time, always allowing you to have a glass of the delicious drink.
However, this goal may be just a dream for other people who also enjoy wine but do not have enough money to have a big cellar at home. Similarly, it seems impossible for those who live in small spaces. You should know what temperature should a wine fridge be. Once you know this, you can mimic the condition in your home.
Wine storage solutions for small homes
So, if you don’t have an extensive wine cellar in your home, these are what you should consider keeping the bottles in proper condition
1. Get a small size cellar that can fit your home
To be able to please all the people who enjoy wine, no matter how much money or space they have, the solutions for wine storage are updated to adapt to the requirements of each one. For example, there are companies specialising in making personalised wine cellars that adapt correctly to different corners of your home and smaller wine cellars to store a limited number of bottles. However, for those who do not want any of these options, there are ways to preserve wine that do not need a wine cooler freezer.
2. Find the right place
If you don’t have a wine cellar, it doesn’t mean you can’t have wine at home. This means that you will need to find the right place to store your drinks. Wines are beverages that require specific storage parameters to stay in good condition.
First of all, it is necessary that the wines are constantly at temperatures of 6 to 18°C and that there are no sudden changes in temperature. For that reason, the chosen place should be far from any heat source. When the temperature is high, the wine will evolve faster, and you will notice changes in its flavour and quality.
The place you have chosen must also be dark, as light affects the colour and aromatic tones of the drink. In addition, the wine storage area must be far from the kitchen to prevent some odours from influencing the flavour of the wine.
Lastly, make sure your wine cellar is humid enough to prevent the cork from drying out. Air could get into the drink and damage it if this were to happen. Preventing the cork from drying out also depends on the position of the bottles, so always keep them horizontal.
3. Organise the wines
Despite sharing a name, the wines have characteristics that make them different. The taste of white wine, for example, is not the same as that of red wine. The first has an acid touch worth maintaining, while the second stands out for its sweet flavour. And this distinction does not happen only with these two wines but with all the others.
For that reason, the correct conservation of each wine will depend a lot on the way you organize your wine collection. If it is within your possibilities, order the bottles by type and the optimal storage temperature. Champagne is best drunk at around 6°C, while vintage red wine is best enjoyed at 16-18°C. Separating them will ensure that each glass has the perfect temperature when drinking it.