WINE CLUB: STEPHANE POMMIER’S TIPS FOR STORING WINE

WINE CLUB

How to store wine

WORDS STEPHANE POMMIER

Whether you’re already something of an aficionado, starting a wine collection or only drink wine on days ending with Y, I’m here to help you get the most from your favourite tipple. Here are my five top tips for storing wine at home.

1. THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE Let’s start with one of the most important things that affect the quality of stored wine – the temperature of your storage area. Whether you’re storing it for a few weeks or a few years, wine generally likes to be stored at about 13ºC. If the temperature in the storage area drops to below minus 4ºC the wine will freeze, and if it’s above 20ºC it can accelerate the wine’s ageing process and destroy volatile compounds. It’s also important to keep the temperature as stable as possible – big fluctuations can cause the cork to expand and contract, which means air can get into the bottle or wine can seep out around the cork.

2. SHOULD I BUY A WINE FRIDGE? Not everyone has a space in their home for storing wine that’s consistently, cool, dark and moist, so yes, it’s a good idea to buy a wine fridge, or cooler. Prices vary but it’s worth investing in a good wine fridge if you’re taking your wine even a little bit seriously. Wine fridges are set to keep wines (including red wines) between 10ºC and 15ºC, and some have a cooler setting for Champagne. They also keep the wines at their preferred level of humidity. Regular kitchen refrigerators are too cold for wines, and food smells can even cause cross-contamination.

3. DOES HUMIDITY AFFECT WINE? Extremely wet or dry air can affect the condition of wine, but this is more of an issue for professional collectors who are laying down wines for years in dedicated cellars. Very dry air can dry out the corks, letting air into the bottle that would spoil the wine, and very wet air can cause mould, which affects labels more than the wine itself. However, if you’re storing wine at home in a shed or garage, say, it’s worth buying a hygrometer to monitor the humidity level, which ideally should be around 60 to 70 per cent.

4. HOW DO LIGHT AND VIBRATIONS AFFECT WINE? Wines of all varieties do not do well when kept in direct sunlight. UV rays can damage the flavours and aromas of wine – there’s a good reason why winemakers have used dark-coloured bottles for several hundred years. Vibrations can disturb sediments in the bottle and disrupt the ageing process of wines, so avoid storing your wine in places such as the laundry or home gym if you’re planning to collect older, vintage wines.

5. KEEP YOUR BOTTLES HORIZONTAL The main reason for storing wine bottles on their side is that it helps keep the cork moist which, as mentioned above, prevents it drying out and letting air into the wine. The main reason for storing screw-top bottles horizontally is that it saves space and allows easy access. For information about Stephane’s masterclasses, plus wine-training for hospitality and retail staff, see somaustralia.com.au

FAVOURITE SUMMER FOOD AND WINE PAIRINGS

Marinated and grilled baby octopus with oregano or Greek lamb souvlaki, served with 2021 Corduroy Pinot Noir From Adelaide Hills, South Australia Zebra tomato salad with goat cheese, balsamic glaze and basil; grilled sardine with capsicum and eggplant on a plancha; or thick rustic sourdough toast with goat cheese, honey and walnuts, served with 2021 Rimauresq Rosé Cru Classé from Côtes de Provence, France Snapper ceviche with lemon, lime, avocado, tomatoes and tortilla chips, served with 2022 Andrew Thomas Braemore Semillon from the Hunter Valley.