Wine Collecting 101: How to Store Wine Properly

[@sanjaypatelmd4669]

totally agree with you one of my house when i built cellar with 3000 bottles was too big to fill now we have so many unopened boxes and other house i have cellar holding 2500 bottles and no room… need to start listening to you and drink more then purchase wine…

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks! That seems to be a common problem. It is not that easy to implement, however. I have done better this year, but still often end up about even. So hard to create space.

[@sanjaypatelmd4669]

@@AttorneySomm only hope i had was due to fires i was going to stop buying Napa wines 2020 vintage but then I visited Bordeaux … lost that battle!

[@AttorneySomm]

@@sanjaypatelmd4669 Ha! Yes, lots of excellent Bordeaux in 2020!

[@sanjaypatelmd4669]

just want to let you know I have had Juan Gil 2018 blue label wine 60% Monasterell, 30% cabernet Sauvignon and 10% syrah

[@AttorneySomm]

@@sanjaypatelmd4669 Very nice! Cheers!

[@Nutritionicity]

Great video, John! I have home storage and this answered many of my ongoing questions. Thank you so much!!

[@AttorneySomm]

Excellent! So glad to hear that! Thanks for the thoughtful feedback!

[@glenn228]

Good video, thanks. We grew into offsite. Once we had our first big Napa trip we easily exceeded our under counter unit and had no good place for a larger in-house solution. There’s a company here in DFW which has several locations and we have one very close to us. While it is a recurring cost, it is a much safer method to cellar fine wines. Home units do go out, and power outages do occur. The other advantage is there is a social component where we have met other wine lovers and are able to share wines and learn more.

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks very much! Yes, the social aspect of off-site storage can certainly be the most rewarding aspect!

[@sipsavor.sights8210]

Really enjoyed watching this wonderful video. Excellent topic, informative, necessary and practical. 💫 One of my goals for this year is to get proper wine storage!! It's important to understand how to properly store your wine. Many thanks for your useful tips, John! Cheers! 🍷🍷

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks, Joy! That is exciting! It is definitely useful to have storage at home. Looking forward to seeing your selection!

[@Level-42]

Thanks John, this is definitely something I’m going to need to make a decision on sometime in the next year.

[@AttorneySomm]

Excellent! Hope it was useful! Have a great weekend, Doug! Thanks for watching!

[@lioncrest2384]

great informational video learning a lot for being a beginner

[@AttorneySomm]

Thank you! So pleased it was useful! Cheers! 👍🍷

[@FoodiewineloverGina]

Temperatures, lighting and positioning of the wine bottles are of the utmost importance. I didn’t know you could keep Champagne upright for 1 to 2 years. Thank you for all these useful informations regarding storing wines. John, I appreciate your weekly insights! 🍷🥂! Well done!! Cheers!!!

[@AttorneySomm]

Gracie mille, Gina! Appreciate the kind feedback! Very glad you enjoyed it! Cheers! 🍷🍷

[@egrainger3258]

You should take a look at The Wine Society in the UK

[@AttorneySomm]

Thank you! I’ll take a look.

[@geico1975]

I'm checking this video out because I've had one bottle of wine laying in my gun cabinet in my bedroom for right at 5-years now. HA! It's a 2019 red wine "Alabar" "Vinho Regional Tejo" "Vinho Tinto - Red Wine - Vin Rouge" Temp has consistently been 60 degrees F. Never been below 50 and never higher than 63.

[@AttorneySomm]

Sounds like you’re in good shape!

[@rb1084]

I recently got a wine fridge for about 80 bottles and it's pretty full now. I took a number of measurements with a full bottle of wine (with a screw cap) and came to the conclusion that the temperature of the wine fluctuates somewhat. The wine refrigerator is set at 13 degrees, when it becomes 14 degrees the compressor switches on and it cools the wine refrigerator back to about 12 degrees. After a few minutes the temperature sensor indicates that it is 13 degrees again and the wine fridge maintains this temperature for about 4 to 5 hours before it is 14 degrees again. The wine refrigerator is equipped with an inverter compressor, so it can work at a very low speed, so that little energy is needed and the cooling process is gradual. The complete cooling cycle takes about 1.5 hours, so this happens very gradually and quietly (14 to 12). This prevents large fluctuations in temperature in contrast to a conventional (standard) compressor that lowers the temperature as quickly as possible. I measured the temperature just AFTER the cooling cycle and the temperature of the wine at that time was 12.1 gr. c. Then for 4 to 5 hours the wine fridge continues to circulate the air and finally when the temperature limit is exceeded (14 deg. C.) the compressor switches on again. I measured again just before switching on and the temperature of the wine in the bottle had risen to 13.5 gr. c. The temperature of the wine therefore fluctuates from about 12 gr. to 13.5 gr. (= 1.5 gr.) for 4 to 5 hours. I don't know if other wine fridge owners check the operation in the same way but what is your opinion on this 1.5 degree swing? Do you find this acceptable? The supplier states that a fluctuation in temperature can never be completely prevented due to switching the compressor on and off. There is still some space left for another 22 bottles, that will make the wine fridge even more temperature consistent, so it will take even longer before 14 gr C. will be noticed but still the 1.5 gr. C. fluctuation will excist. So, do you think that this is just the best you can get from a wine fridge or is not doing it’s job probably? Greetz from the Netherlands, Robin

[@AttorneySomm]

Hi Robin: I think it is probably fine. I have a large 660-bottle unit that fluctuates like that - especially in the Texas summer - and have not noticed any issues in the 10 years I have stored wine in it. It is certainly much better than not having climate control. It will also be full soon, I’m sure, which will help further. So I think you should be fine. Cheers!

[@rb1084]

@@AttorneySomm Thanks! I think so too, which is why I have set the temp. to the ideal 12 to 13 degrees, a fluctuation between 12 and 13.5 degrees is probably less harmful than flictuations at higher temperatures such as 17 degrees towards 18.5 or 19. And indeed, at the moment it is on average 23 to 24 degrees in my living room, in the winter this will drop to about 20 degrees, because of this the cabinet will also heat up more slowly, which slows down the fluctuation. Robin

[@EricZeak]

I think wine storage is very interesting. I had to buy a home wine fridge because my kitchen was too warm. The model I got holds 30 bottles.

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks very much. Yes, that was a good idea!

[@LOUISVfan77]

Excellent video! I don’t recall you talking about the humidity level of the storage unit though! I know that is a rather controversial subject... Some say that the cork stays moist because it is in constant contact with the wine inside of the bottle, so therefore there would be no need for a humidity-controlled cellar. What is your opinion on this matter? Thanks!

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks very much! Yes, I personally don’t think humidity is a big issue unless you live in the desert or in extreme cold (arctic conditions). You can always place a pan of water to the cellar to be safe if it is a concern.

[@thomasschellberg8213]

@@AttorneySomm When I lived in Wyoming, I had much of my wine in a basement room and I humidified the room with a large portable humidifier. It brought the room humidity up to 50%. A pan of water would not have worked. Temps varied seasonally from 50 to 65 degrees. Not perfect, but a lot of my wine was stored in Wine Storage of Denver.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@thomasschellberg8213 That makes sense. Yes a pan would only work in a much smaller area.

[@Chris-wp7fj]

I would like to see a tour of your wine cellar please!

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks very much! I did a reel on IG about that. instagram.com/reel/CII5XRjHGLK/?igshid=1mmhzxxi15rcs

[@astyanax93]

If I choose to store wine in a basement that satisfies all the conditions, but sometimes has unpleasant odors (oil, detergent, gas, whatever), can these odors get into the wine? Thanks!

[@AttorneySomm]

Great question! For short term storage or daily drinker wines it may be ok, but I wouldn’t recommend it for long term storage or for pricey bottles.

[@henryduran4582]

What would you recommend if you had to choose for storing wines - regular refrigerator (garage) or closet (under staircase, about 70 degrees year round)??? I plan to get a wine refrigerator this Xmas season. Any advice in the mean time would be much appreciated

[@AttorneySomm]

Provided it doesn’t get over 70, I’d probably choose the stairs. Extended storage in the fridge can dry the cork and allow air to get in.

[@step1nov849]

@@AttorneySomm thank you! I got a Midea 34-bottle fridge, which is great, EXCEPT that the racks can barely fit the burgundy-style bottles (larger circumference) . I have to force those bottles in, and they have to be forcefully removed (which scares me as I feel I might cause some to fall out). There is room at the bottom for 5 (a sort of cubbie). Do you have any advice for storing bottles of different sizes (compared to std Bordeaux style)????

[@AttorneySomm]

@@step1nov849 Congratulations on the purchase! I have problems with the non-standard sized bottles too. Champagne bottles are difficult, but I usually stand those upright on the floor of my cellar. Unfortunately, with a fridge, the only solution is to remove a rack, which reduces the capacity.

[@hxl6162]

What would be a good humidity for the wine?

[@AttorneySomm]

60 to 70% is ideal. 50-60% works too.

[@danielplainview4778]

Another great video thanks for doing these. Question about format... why is there so much editing? It looks like there is an edit every sentence almost, it is a little distracting, but still great work!

[@AttorneySomm]

Thanks! Some of the YT gurus recommend removing all the breaths because many people will close out early if they think it’s going too slow. I’ve tried to cut back on that a bit. But I’m also doing everything myself and figuring it out as I go so I appreciate the feedback. Had a big learning curve on the editing in particular, which I had never done before.

[@danielplainview4778]

@@AttorneySomm makes sense, I personally find it’s so rapid fire sometimes it’s too quick to absorb but still loving the series keep it up

[@AttorneySomm]

@@danielplainview4778 Thank you! Truly appreciate it! 👍🍷

[@robertjames-life4768]

A little chilly in Dallas John? 😉

[@AttorneySomm]

Yes! Cold front this weekend! Hearty reds this weekend!

[@slicksalmon6948]

I store my wine at 98.6 degrees in my stomach.

[@AttorneySomm]

Ha! Same here. Have a stockpile though. 👍🍷

[@NM-xoxo]

😂😂😂 best storage

[@ronaldhonda2276]

John, I have a question. Is collecting wine an addiction? I started out with five bottles. Now I have over 1000 and I can’t seem to stop. It started when I went to an upscale restaurant and had a dinner of smoked duck and the waiter recommended a glass of Burgundy and it tasted so delightful with the duck that I drank two glasses. From that time on, I started purchasing wine. I just purchased a 2009 Latour magnum 1er Grand Cru for €15000. I purchased because it has RP 100, JS 100, VN 99, WE 99, WS 99, ST 96, JG 98. RP in his review says there is a possibility this Vintage could last another 100 years.

[@AttorneySomm]

An excellent question! Wine collecting certainly can be an addiction. Many people get caught up in acquisition and end up with more bottles than they can possibly consume. It is easy to do especially if you get on a lot of mailing lists like producers in the US use. The thrill of the chase can also be exciting. The good news is that high end collectible wine almost always has a market and if you want to downsize later, you could always do that.

[@ronaldhonda2276]

@@AttorneySomm Thanks Som, you do excellent work. I look forward to seeing more of your videos. You have a subscriber.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@ronaldhonda2276 Thanks very much! Truly appreciate it!

[@chrisginoc]

@@AttorneySomm Thrill of the chase is definitely real. Just hunted down some very hard to find 2016 Patria Avoyelles and 2016 Mayacamas cabernet sauvignon.

[@AttorneySomm]

@@chrisginoc Well done! Always very satisfying! Excellent choices!

[@wineguy68]

I built a wine cellar after i exceeded 400 bottles. Now over 1000. Be warned if u build a cellar the bottles will come LOL

[@AttorneySomm]

Ha! That is exactly right! The same thing happened to me! 👍🍷