Wine is the the new social elixir of Asia and many of us tend to keep a few bottles stowed away in the home for functions or simply to consume when friends and family come over for dinner. Here are a few tips on how to store wine properly at home.

The first thing to know is that it is NOT true that all wines will mature and taste better with age. The rule of thumb is that wines under RM70 should not be kept for more than 12 months. Australian wines such as most variations of Hardy’s and Jacob’s Creek will not benefit from extended keeping. The same applies for wines labeled Vin de Pays (France) and QBA (Germany).

Temperature - most wine can be stored at room temperature. The more important thing to consider is that the place you’re storing your wine should not be prone to temperature fluctuations of more than a few degrees a day. Don’t store wine in a place within the home that can have dramatic temperature changes.

Humidity - Experts reckon the ideal humidity level is approximately 70%, to prevent the end of the cork from drying out. In Malaysia, we are fortunate not to have to worry much about this factor

Light - Do not expose your wine to direct sunlight or strong artificial lighting. Light could heat the wine and spoil it. Best to keep wine in dark corners (especially white wine which is at higher risk of light exposure)

Vibration - This is usually a non-factor, unless you’re keeping your wine on top of your fridge! Make sure you store your wine in a vibration free zone (e.g. cupboard/shelf). Vibration causes internal movement which could adversely affect the ageing of the wine.

Here’s a useful article from The Wine Anorak on how to store and place wine bottles

Here’s an article from My Wines Direct with tips on wine storage

Don’t like to read very much? Then watch this video on tips on how to store wine

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To start storing wine, you can get VURM, an affordable 4-bottle metallic wine holder from IKEA for RM39. It’s got a contemporary look and can look quite nice if hung up in a set of 2 or 3. A simple way to help decorate or fill up an empty wall.

For several times the price or VURM, you could consider buying this opulent looking wall hung wine rack from Relish for USD65.

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