30/08/2024
7 golden rules of wine storage:
4. odour, vibration and location of wine storage
The longer we want to store a wine, the higher the demands on the place where the wine spends its time. Where the wine we have bought is ideally stored depends primarily on whether we want to enjoy it in the next few days or whether we have bought it for stock or even for ageing. The storage period therefore largely determines the requirements for the place where the wine is to be stored. If it is only a few hours or days, it is only important that it is stored in a cool, dark place. If it is to be stored for several weeks, the humidity should also be below 70%. If the wine is to be stored for several months or even years, the odour and quiet storage are also important.
Caution: The odour of the storage location can lead to spoilage of the wine.
Even if it doesn't seem plausible at first glance, certain environmental odours can be absorbed by the wine in the bottle over time. Depending on the odour, it takes 2 to 3 weeks for it to diffuse through the cork into the wine; with some odours, such as solvents, it happens more quickly. Other closures such as glass corks or screw caps also allow odours into the wine. This is because the odour molecules are perceptible to humans even in very low concentrations and a constant gas exchange takes place via the closure. A very typical negative example: Wine that is stored in a car garage next to petrol and in combination with car exhaust fumes or in a hobby room together with paints and solvents such as turpentine absorbs exhaust fumes and solvents via the cork and changes the wine's sensory properties.
Wine maturing over many years needs rest - vibrations cause wine to age more quickly.
Frequent shocks in the form of vibrations - e.g. from a washing machine or a nearby railway line - accelerate the oxygen absorption of the wine from the remaining air volume in the bottle and thus the ageing of the stored wines. Above all, the pleasant aromas of the wine decrease with frequent vibration in the wine store - in other words, accelerated ageing takes place due to biochemical reactions of the ingredients. A frequently mentioned phenomenon of vibrations or periodic shocks in red wines is the shaking up of a red wine deposit, which develops over time in some red wines. However, this has no or only very minor negative effects.
Read more about the background to the choice of storage location here: https://www.winerack-plus.com/wine-storage-guide
maturity storage rules storage cellar construction enjoyment knowledge tips storage location storage odour storage vibrations