Back in May, we provided some guidelines for the types of wines that can age well, with the premise that not all wines age well.
Now we’ll explore some ideas around actually building a cellar or storage area. If you intend to purchase bottles and to keep them for years, then the tips below are worth reading. And depending on the level of collecting you want to do, hopefully the information below is useful to scale and capability of your cellar area.
There are a few things to think about when it comes to allowing a wine to age well:
- Warm temperatures, exceeding 70 deg F, can cook a wine over time.
- Cold temperatures, less than 45 deg F, can dry out corks, allowing air and oxygen to enter the bottle.
- Bottles should be stored on their sides. This keeps liquid in contact with the cork and prevents drying.
- Sunlight will damage wine over time. Artificial light is better but should not be constant.
Here are some simple tips for getting started with a cellar or simple storage area:
- Find a cool area in the house with a steady temperature year round. A basement in the low 60 deg F range is perfect, but the temperature should be between 45 and 65 deg F, and remain stable throughout the year.
- Keep the storage area dark, except when you are physically there to inspect or select a bottle.
- Have racks that allow the bottles to be stored on their side. This rack available on Amazon is a good choice. A friend also uses terra cotta half-cylinders, arranged into cylinders, as a low cost and easily expandable racking system.
- Controlled temperature and humidity storage units are likely a necessary investment for those who live in hot, dry climates like the desert.
- For larger cellars, and when keeping wines for up to 10 years, consider an inventory tracking system. This can be a spreadsheet, or something as simple as a tag hanging from the neck indicating vintage and the last time inspected…which leads me to…
- Be sure to check on the inventory twice per year. The goal is to make sure something isn’t getting past its prime. If you are aging more than 10 years, and you aren’t sure, then it is good to get an opinion about the length of time to age. Note this can change from vintage to vintage, even with the same region and producer.
- If you have a significant amount of inventory that is reaching its prime…then better get busy.
There are many storage solutions for the home, available commercially, but for most people who don’t intend to build a storage area bigger than 500 or so bottles, the above will be perfectly adequate.
What is the downside of letting a wine go for too long? Over time, it is inevitable that the wine will pick up oxygen, leading to a sherry-like character. Fruit flavors become less vibrant and tannins drop out.
But the point is not to be afraid of averaging, and simply being aware of it. Why is aging worthwhile and interesting? Because the flavors in an age-worthy wine meld together in different and unique ways, much like some dishes get better in the next day or two after they have been cooked.
Here is an interesting way to explore aging. If you have an age worthy bottle you like (again, refer back to this article for what could age well), then purchase a case, or a half case, of the same vintage. Open a bottle immediately. Then open a bottle each year or every 6 months. Consider having a small group of friends split the cost and make this event a good reason to (re-)connect, and at the same time making it a more affordable way to explore aging.
The biggest thing to be careful of is this. Unintentionally stockpiling nice wines with the intent to drink them sometime in the future, and then never getting around to it. Pick a night, any night, and recognize you don’t need an excuse to open that special Brunello di Montalcino, or Bordeaux, or Rioja Gran Reserva, or California Cabernet Sauvignon…and simply pull the cork and enjoy.