How To Decide The Best Place For Wine Storage

Sep 23, 2021

No matter how big or small your wine collection is, it deserves to be stored in the best possible way.

If you don’t store your wine in the right conditions, it can go through unwanted chemical reactions, age poorly, as well as tasting and looking unpleasant.

One of the best places to store your wine is in a wine cooler - but where exactly do you place a wine cooler?

Keep reading to learn more about the best conditions for wine storage, and where the best places to store your wine cooler are.

Consider The Conditions

A variety of different factors can impact how well your wine keeps - whether it be sunlight, humidity, or temperature.

Regardless of where you store your wine, you should always make sure that it isn’t in direct sunlight.

Sunlight can cause chemical reactions in your wine that speed up the ageing process and ruin the flavour of your wine.

If possible, always try to store your wine in a cool and dark space - for example, a cellar.

If you have a wine cooler, you may not have to worry about sunlight as many wine coolers protect your wine from UV rays.

The key thing to consider when storing your wine is temperature. You should always aim to store your wine in temperatures between 11ºC and 14ºC - this is the optimal long-term storage temperature for most wines.

Storing your wine at temperatures over 15ºC can cause your wine to age faster, and the flavour profiles to deteriorate. It can also cause your wine to develop an irreversible cooked taste.

However, you should also avoid storing your wine at temperatures that are too cold. This can also leave your wine tasting flavourless, and may even cause your wine to freeze.

This can cause the cork to shrink and push out, leaving your wine exposed to oxygen. Wine coolers are the best place to store your wine, as they keep it at the right temperature no matter where you place the cooler.

Humidity is something that many wine lovers overlook when storing their wine. Wine is best stored at humidity levels between 55% and 75%. Most wine coolers will accommodate this, but it’s always best to double-check.

Too much humidity can cause your wine to develop mould and can ruin the labels, whereas not enough humidity can dry out the cork and expose the wine to oxygen.

Consider the Location

There are plenty of convenient locations in your home that you can store your wine.

As long as you consider the factors that can affect wine storage, any place in your home could make a great location for your wine collection.

If you want some tips on how to utilise your wine fridge for home improvement, we've got you covered - click here.

Kitchen

Most people will store their wine collection in the kitchen. Whether it’s in the back of a cupboard, on designated wine shelves, or in a wine cooler, the kitchen is often the go-to place for wine storage.

Many people spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and it’s always convenient to place a wine fridge near your other appliances.

Kitchens are versatile spaces, and there are many places in which you can place a wine cooler. Some people may place their wine cooler under the counter space or inside cabinet space.

Others may place a wine cooler standing freely, whether it be next to a fridge, on a cabinet, or standing freely in the corner of the room.

Freestanding wine coolers are generally more versatile than built-in and fully integrated wine coolers - you can place them pretty much anywhere you like.

Freestanding wine coolers can make a great feature in your kitchen, especially when they display your collection.

Built-in wine coolers are becoming increasingly popular - they are designed to fit under counters and can range in size, accommodating under 15 bottles to over 30.

They are often very stylish and modern and can add to the vibe of any kitchen - as are fully integrated wine coolers.

Fully integrated wine coolers add a modern and seamless feel to any kitchen. They are designed to blend in with your interior and are super convenient.

However, fully integrated wine coolers tend to be more expensive, as they often require more manpower to install.

Whether you want a glass of wine with your dinner, you have guests over, or you simply fancy a glass after work, the kitchen is a great space to store your wine.

Garage

Another great space to store your wine cooler is your garage.

Many people will want to proudly display their wine cooler, but not everybody has the space to do so.

If you don’t have space to place your wine fridge in your kitchen, living room, or dining room, the next best thing is your garage.

The garage is a common place to store appliances, as they often have a lot of floor space and can accommodate large appliances. This is great if you have a larger wine cooler.

It’s generally freestanding coolers that are best kept in garages - it can be hard for coolers to be fully integrated into a garage as there most likely aren’t cabinets available.

Likewise, built-in wine coolers won’t have anywhere to be built into, unless you have counters in your garage.

If you don’t have a wine cooler, the garage is still a great place to store wine.

If your garage is cool, dark, and has good humidity levels, then it may be the best place to store your collection if you consider the other factors that can affect wine storage.

The garage is also generally safer - children may be able to easily access wine kept inside the home, but garages can be locked and children can be kept away from them, ensuring that they don’t get their hands on your wine.