How to store wine at home, the basics of aging homemade wines

It depends on many factors. In general, as we have said many times before, wines with a low pH (Pino noir, Sangiovese, etc.) have a high aging potential, as do red wines with a high content of phenols, in particular tannins (Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, etc.). Shiraz). Among white wines, those that have the highest acidity and extractivity (contain a sufficient amount of non-volatile substances) have the greatest storage potential. The ratio of sugars, acids, phenols and water is a key indicator of how well a wine will age.

The golden rule for long-term storage of wine is: it is better to store 10 bottles of one wine than one bottle of 10 different varieties. During aging, the wine needs to be tasted periodically – this is the only way to understand whether it is developing or degrading, as well as to find out when the drink is at its “peak”. Tastings are recommended to be held at least once every six months or a year.

Without delving into complex biochemical processes, we have collected some popular grape wines that are not at all suitable for long-term storage, and wines that are best suited for this. We hope you, having studied the composition of these wines and their other features, will be able to derive some patterns and use them in practice in home winemaking. Red wines are better for aging, depending on the aging potential they can be stored for 2 to 10 years. White wines are usually recommended to be consumed 2-3 years after brewing. Sparkling wines are almost identical to whites. But this is not a paradigm and there are always exceptions!

Almost no aging potential (should be drunk immediately or within 1 year):

• German QbA
• Asti and Moscato Spumante
• Pinks like White Zinfandel
• European table wines
• Cheap varietal wines (excluding Cabernet Sauvignon)
• Most “country wines” (“vin de pays”)
• Ординарные вина AOC (“early wines”, “new wines”)
• Vermouth
• Basic sherries
• Ports “Tawny” (“tawny”)
• Wines made from grape concentrate

With good aging potential:

• Botrytised wines (5-25 years)
• Chardonnay (2-6 years)
• Riesling (2-30 years old)
• Hungarian Furmint (3-25 years old)
• Chenin Blanc of the Loire Valley (4-30 years old)
• Hunter Valley Semillion (6-15 years old)
• Cabernet Sauvignon (4-20 years)
• Merlot (2-10 years old)
• Nebbiolo (4-20 years old)
• Pinot noir (2-8 years old)
• Sangiovese (2-8 years old)
• Syrah/Shiraz (4-16 years old)
• Zinfandel (2-6 years old)
• Wines of Bordeaux (8-25 years)
• Burgundy Grand Crus (8-25 years old)
• Aglianico of Taurasi (4-15 years old)
• Baga from Bairrada (4-8 years old)
• Hungarian Kadarka (3-7 years old)
• Bulgarian Melnik (3-7 years)
• Horvatskoe Plavac Mali (4-8 years)
• Georgian Saperavi (3-10 years old)
• Madiran Tannat (4-12 years old)
• Spanish Tempranillo (2-8 years old)
• Greek Xinomavro (4-10 years old)
• Vintage ports (20-50 years old)

But the aging potential itself means nothing if the wine is stored in unsuitable conditions for this. One of the most important factors affecting the “survival” of the drink and the evolution of its organoleptics is the ambient temperature. At the same time, the following is true not only for wines that you are going to store for more than 5 years to improve them, but also for wines without aging potential, which you are going to consume 1-2 years after preparation. Even the simplest wine gets better after aging for at least 6 months.

Fully oxidized wine is dead wine, vinegar, but some oxidative processes are a natural part of aging. During long-term storage of wines, an acceptable level of oxidation is allowed, which occurs due to the contact of the drink with oxygen in the unfilled part of the bottle (the so-called “ullazh”), as well as with a small amount of oxygen entering the bottle through the cork (of course, if just a cork plug). High temperature promotes rapid oxidation, stimulating chemical reactions. For every increase in temperature by 8^оWith the rate of aging of wines doubles.

But this does not mean that wine that has been stored at room temperature and above will mature twice as fast and become better. On the contrary, those non-volatile substances that are elusive for our receptors are oxidized at high temperatures and react so quickly that they do not have time to form complex compounds that are necessary for the formation of a multi-layered taste and aroma. At storage temperatures above 26-27^оWith wine can be “cooked” – instead of light fruit motifs and noble undertones, the drink will acquire the taste of stewed fruits and burnt sugar. Even if the wine is stored for a short time at high temperatures (up to 24 hours), its taste can quickly become dull and inexpressive. At the same time, the wine can be stored for a long time at 20^оWith no long-term negative effect.

At the other end of the wine spectrum, at storage temperatures below 10^оWith almost no age. In addition, at low temperatures, tartaric acid crystals can develop in the drink, which in no way affect its taste or aroma, but look unpresentable and can damage the oral cavity if they get into your glass.

The average optimum storage and aging temperature for wines is 12,5^оC.

Of course, this temperature is not ideal for all wines (for example, “full-bodied” red and dessert wines can and even need to be stored at 14–16^оC), but 12^оC will definitely not harm any wine during its short or long-term storage. It is much more important to avoid temperature fluctuations (i.e. temperature changes exceeding 0,5-1,5^оC per day), which have the most devastating effect on aging wine. Temperature fluctuations not only negatively affect oxidative processes, but can also break the tightness of the cork (due to changes in the volume of wine, which increases in volume when heated and presses on the cork, and when cooled, sucks oxygen into the bottle).

In addition to a stable temperature, wine, for its successful storage and aging, needs a number of other optimal conditions. Usually recommended (but not always appropriate): the absence of ultraviolet radiation, a certain level of humidity, the absence of vibrations and a horizontal arrangement. In short, the ideal conditions for storing and aging wine are:

Relative humidity

This condition should be taken into account only when the bottle is sealed with a cork stopper. Relative humidity of 50-70% in the room where the wine is stored will prevent the cork from drying out and, as a result, cracking/breaking. Humidity above 80% is undesirable and will cause mold to form on the outside of the cork and label – a purely cosmetic problem.

Ultraviolet radiation

Light grade or “taste of light” (“goût de lumiere”, “casse de lumiere”) is a term used to describe wines that have been exposed to excessive sunlight or fluorescent light. Such wine acquires the smell of wet wool, burnt rubber, hydrogen sulfide, and even the smell of a substance secreted by the glands of a skunk (due to the formation of mercaptan). White and sparkling wines are more prone to this problem – red wines protect polyphenols (tannins). But even red wines can deteriorate significantly over time after prolonged exposure to UV radiation. The first bastion is tinted bottles that work like sunglasses (some producers bottle their wines in bottles with a UV filter), the second is to store bottles in a dark place, and use incandescent or LED light sources for lighting (fluorescent lamps generate UV radiation). ).

Vibrations

It is believed that any, even the most insignificant vibrations will adversely affect the taste of aging wine. Studies by Vernon L. Singleton, an American professor of oenology, have shown that vibrations do not significantly affect the taste or aroma of aging wine, but they lead to a constant dispersion of sediment, which will certainly accumulate on the walls of the bottle (or its bottom if the wine is stored vertically) in the process of aging. In theory, this not only affects the transparency of the drink, but also its taste.

Bottle arrangement

Traditionally, bottles are stored on their side, in a horizontal position. So the wine is constantly in contact with the cork, moisturizing it and preventing it from drying out. If you are going to drink wine throughout the year, or if it is corked with non-natural corks (there are various materials used for this now, which you can read about in this article), then wine can just as well be stored upright. But horizontal shelving saves space and definitely can’t harm any bottled wines, so it definitely makes sense.

The worst place to store any wine would be the kitchen, garage or any storage room (shed) on the street. The kitchen is usually the warmest place in an apartment or house, it is well lit, and is also subject to constant temperature fluctuations (during cooking) and vibrations (from household appliances). In garages and warehouses, there is no way to finely regulate the temperature: in summer it is hot, in winter it is cold. In a garage or shed, there are also often various unpleasant odors (gasoline, varnishes, paints, etc.) that can enter your wine through the cork.

Everyone knows that the best place for long-term storage and aging of wines is the cellar/cellar. It is usually quite cool, dark and damp. But the basement of the basement is different. Make sure it has no temperature fluctuations, moderate humidity, it is clean and does not have strong third-party odors. If your cellar is not completely underground, store your wines on an underground wall. If the humidity is too high (more than 80%), do not store the wine directly on the ground. Of course, you should take care of buying or making your own wine rack.

What to do if you do not have a cellar, you live in an apartment? First, find a cupboard or any other piece of furniture in which you can place bottles (the minimum task is to protect the wine from the walls, which will have different temperatures in different periods of the year). If you can’t find one, try making a wine rack or shelf on a shaded or north wall. Using a thermometer and hygrometer, measure the temperature and humidity in places where you can organize storage space. When it comes to choosing between a space with a higher but stable temperature and a place where it is cooler but has temperature fluctuations, choose the first option.

Storing wine in such conditions is a short-term solution and is not at all suitable for its long aging. It is recommended to store wine at room temperature for no more than 6 months.

Constant temperature fluctuations due to compressor cycling, temperature too low (rarely above 5^оC) In general, constant vibrations and low humidity (usually in the range of 17-40%) make the refrigerator one of the worst places to store wine for a long time. Add to this foods with a strong smell, which can affect the taste of the drink.

The refrigerator is only suitable for short-term storage of wines that you plan to drink within 1-2 months!

If you have a spare refrigerator, you can create conditions in it that are suitable for storing wine for 1-2 years. First of all, you need to take care of a stable temperature: fill the free space with eggplants with water or fill the refrigerator completely with wine. The humidity level can be provided by open water tanks. You can also connect a refrigerator through a temperature controller, but then, most likely, you will have to say goodbye to the compressor soon.

Wine coolers/cabinets are a good alternative to a cellar for apartment dwellers. They provide a stable temperature, and the tinted door will protect the wine from UV radiation. It is expensive, not suitable for storing wine for too long, but is often the only way to solve the problem.

Storage conditions for homemade wines should not differ from the conditions described above, that is, they need to provide the optimum temperature, humidity, etc. As for the aging time, any homemade wine, whether it is grape or fruit and berry, also has a certain aging potential. Sweeter and stronger wines keep longer than light and dry ones. Wines with a high content of tannins have a good aging potential. For example, wine from chokeberry can be stored for 10-20 years, not only without losing its taste, but also with a noticeable improvement. Popular among home winemakers, apple wines also have good indicators for storing them for up to 10 years (provided that they contain sour apple juice and all the necessary technological processes have been observed).

To increase the aging potential of homemade wines, it is important to properly bottle them while maintaining complete sterility. Plastic containers should be discarded immediately and used only as a temporary measure (wine can be stored in food-grade plastic bottles labeled PET (PETE) or HDP (with the number 1 or 2) for no more than 3 months). You should also avoid storing wine in glass jars with metal lids. As an alternative, you can consider ordinary glass preservation jars with glass lids, but always with a sealed food grade silicone seal. This solution is better than the previous ones, but not ideal and should also be considered as a temporary measure (no more than 6 months of storage).

We recommend that you read the article on sulfur dioxide in wine, another important factor influencing the aging potential of wine. The use of sulfur at the stage of wine bottling will significantly increase its chances for successful and long-term storage.

Of course, the best solution for long aging wines is to use traditional wine bottles with cork stoppers. Wine bottle capping equipment can be purchased inexpensively from Chinese marketplaces, such as AliExpress. At the bottling stage, it is desirable to use a siphon, which should be lowered as low as possible to the bottom of the bottle in order to minimize the contact of the wine with oxygen. The distance between the wine and the bottom of the cork should be no more than 0,5-1 cm. Be sure to use only new corks that have not been used before!

To minimize the contact of homemade wine with oxygen, the cork can be filled with wax or sealing wax.