Wine World
The importance of correct storage Mairead Robinson on how to get the best from your wine and new marketing initiatives
While most of us, to be honest, do not store the wine that we buy for some special date in the future, there is a case for laying down bottles that will improve with aging. However, it seems that many of us get this wrong. According to a recent article, Richard Vayda, the director of wine studies at the Institute of Culinary Education, states that ‘aging’ that special bottle might not be the best idea. ‘Holding on to wines too long would be the most common mistake I see people making,’ he says. ‘There is this idea that wines are mostly better aged, when in reality only a small percentage of wines are meant to be held for any length of time. Most wines available are pretty ready to drink when purchased.’ I would certainly agree with him on that point. So if you do want to store wines in your own home, the next question to address is whether to invest in a proper wine fridge. ‘Certainly, if the plan is to store a number of age-able wines for a length of time, this would be a wise idea,’ Vayda says. Generally, these coolers are designed to store any type of wine in better holding conditions. They control ambient temperature inside the cooler to maintain ‘cellar tempera-
ture’ (which typically means under 60˚F). Better models will feature lower vibration and humidity control. According to Vayda, we should always avoid storing wine for any length of time in standard refrigerators—even white and sparkling wines. ‘They're OK for bringing wine down to service temperature (i.e., before serving), but not good for product quality for long-term storage,” he says. “Rather, look for a location in your home that has the best conditions available.’ His key factors are as follows: • No direct sunlight • As cool and stable temperature as possible • Low vibration ‘In my own apartment, I have a wine cooler for better bottles, but a majority of my wines are kept on racks in a dark foyer and they live just fine,’ he says. It isn’t just the inside of the fridge you should avoid—it’s the outside, too. ‘Keeping wine bottles or racks above your refrigerator is not a good idea, as the heat given off to cool the inside often makes this one of the warmest places in the home,’ Vayda says. When it
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comes to wine, the bar cart next to the window is not a good idea due to the area's frequently fluctuating light and temperature. ‘For most homes, a dark basement space or a closet usually makes for a good location to hold all wines.’ Think of it as a makeshift wine cellar. ‘Then, adjust the temperature as desired— meani’Vayda says. The last piece of advice is to keep wines with natural corks stored on their side to maintain the cork's integrity. So in light of Yayda’s recommendations, I would suggest drinking and enjoying your wine right now! But getting back to enjoying wine now, it has been a challenge for many people to get out and about to choose wines to enjoy at home during these days of lockdown. So an innovative new company, boxofwine.ie is Ireland’s first ‘tailored to your taste’ wine subscription company and was set up in 2020 by Conor Duggan, Neil O’Reilly & Conor Mulligan who had to quickly turn their hands and expert noses for wine to something else after the hospitality sector and their livelihoods got pounded by the pandemic. Boxofwine.ie provides a bespoke wine offering, tailored to individual tastes and is conveniently and safely delivered straight to the door
