Remember Temperature for the Best Wine Storage

Why is wine temperature important?

Temperature is one - if not the most important factors of storing your wine. When storing wine for an extended period of time - basically anything longer than one year - it is worth investing in a wine refrigerator or wine cooler. Wine that is not stored at the right temperature can become spoiled or age prematurely. It can also become oxidized if a large amount of oxygen comes into contact with the beverage.

Basically, the wrong temperature, or a drastic temperature change can ruin your win.  

There are several important temperature keys to keep in mind for the best wine storage:

Keep the temperature below 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 Celsius) at all times. It is OK for the temperature to go about 75 degrees occasionally, as long as it's not for an extended amount of time. At 75 degrees, the wine begins to oxidize, so it's important to keep it below this level.

The ideal wine storage temperature for storing a varied wine collection is 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12.2 Celsius). When working with a basic wine cooler or wine cabinet, this is your best bet temperature-wise. Going below 54 degrees will slow the aging process, but won't hurt the wine, provided the temperature is kept constant.

Keep the temperature as steady as possible. When you're forced to change the temperature of your wine storage area or refrigerator, do so gradually to minimize any risk to the wine. Raising a wine's temperature forces wine through the cork, while lowering the temperature forces air back into the bottle. Ongoing temperature change can result in premature aging of the wine from overbreathing.

A good rule of thumb for wine storage is to not change the temperature of your storage area more than three degrees a day, and no more than 5 degrees a year. This is especially important for red wines, as they can suffer more from temperature change than their white counterparts.