How to store wine bottles?

The storage of your wine bottles determines the quality of their preservation, and ultimately the tasting experience. They need a dedicated space to continue aging at the right temperature. Whether you live in an apartment or a house, storage solutions are available and affordable, depending on your budget and available space.

• Lay down your wine bottles so that the cork stays in contact with the wine and doesn't dry out. The same applies to champagne, which can also be stored upright for a few hours before tasting. For longer storage periods, it is always preferable to store bottles lying down.
• Put your everyday wines front and center for easy access.
• Keep your bottles away from light and out of direct sunlight.
• Make sure the storage temperature is stable. Heat is no friend of your vintages.
• Organize your cellar by classifying your wines and placing them in the right place on the shelves.
• Classify your wines (grape variety, year, appellation, region, type) to find your bottles more easily.
• Never stick your bottles to the cellar wall.
• Turn the bottles so that you can easily read their labels and information.
• Respect the humidity level in the room or in the electric wine cellar. This is called hygrometry.
• Put only wine bottles in the storage cupboard.
• Ensure good air circulation.

There are several storage solutions to suit your budget or the space you have to store your bottles of wine:

• A custom-made kitchen cabinet with cross shelves
• Racks
• A wine cellar or refrigerated cabinet
• An underground cellar
• A designer bottle rack in metal, polystyrene or wood
• Decorative or do-it-yourself shelves
• A locker
• A kitchen pantry

The advantage of refrigerated wine cellars for storing your bottles? Better control of humidity and temperature, for optimal storage. Models are generally equipped with anti-UV filtered glass and appropriate lighting, for optimum storage conditions.

For grands crus and vins de garde, always store them in a wine cellar.