What Happens When You Don’t Store Your Wine Properly

Wine storage is more important than many connoisseurs realize. Whether it’s an affordable bottle for casual dinners or a rare vintage, improper storage can impact its quality significantly. Learn what could happen when you don’t store your wine properly and why it’s critical that you do.

Oxidation Will Turn Wine Into Vinegar

When left exposed to air or stored improperly, wine can oxidize. This occurs when oxygen chemically interacts with the wine’s compounds, causing it to lose its fresh taste and transform into something unpleasant.

Over time, the wine becomes sour and eventually tastes like vinegar. Factors like an improperly sealed bottle or storing wine upright for too long can accelerate this process. Ensuring your bottles are stored horizontally with a well-maintained seal can prevent unnecessary oxidation.

Premature Aging Ruins the Experience

Every wine has an ideal aging window. Without proper storage conditions, such as consistent temperature or humidity, a bottle may age faster than intended. Heat, in particular, is a major culprit.

Exposure to high temperatures causes chemical reactions within the wine to speed up, resulting in a dull, unbalanced flavor. To avoid this, you should store wine in a cool, stable environment, ideally between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit, to preserve its intended profile.

Cork Problems Cause Leakage

The cork needs specific conditions to stay in good shape. Insufficient humidity dries it out, while too much humidity encourages mold. When a cork deteriorates or shrinks, wine leaks out, and oxygen sneaks in, ruining the wine’s integrity. Proper storage involves maintaining humidity levels between 50 and 70 percent to keep the cork in optimal condition.

Loss of Flavor and Aroma Destroys Quality

Failing to store wine in the right environment can lead to irreversible loss of its flavor and aroma. Light, especially UV rays, degrades the wine’s chemical compounds over time. This problem is commonly known as lightstrike, which many people don’t know can happen to wine if it’s not stored properly.

Strong scents from nearby items can also penetrate the bottle’s seal if stored incorrectly, altering the wine’s intended profile. By keeping wine in a dark and scent-free space, you can avoid unnecessary compromises on its quality.

Storing wine properly is about maximizing its potential and ensuring every sip reflects what the winemaker intended. If you’re wondering how to keep your collection intact, read through this guide to organizing your wine collection to make sure your bottles are stored the right way.