Storage of homemade wine: terms and conditions, choice of containers and temperatures

Wine is a perishable product, but in the right conditions, while maintaining hermeticity, its quality improves. During long-term storage in homemade wine, chemical processes occur with the participation of sugar, phenols and acids. They ennoble the taste, aromatic, organoleptic qualities of the product. But such positive changes are impossible if the rules for storing a noble drink are not followed.

What is hidden under the term wine aging potential?

This term refers to the conditional degree of improvement in the quality of alcohol over time.Not every alcoholic drink can be stored for a long time. Only 10% of all known brands of grape wine become better after a year of storage. And only 1% of products retain their quality after 9-12 years.

Aging potential is determined by several factors:

• quality of raw materials;
• production technology;
• harvest of a certain year;
• vineyard region;
• winemaking technique.

Properly aging wine acquires a velvety, complex, smooth taste and rich aroma.

Storage conditions

The main conditions for storing alcohol are ventilation and darkness. The sun's rays are necessary for grapes to fully ripen, but they spoil the wine. If the storage conditions are not observed, the product quickly oxidizes and loses its taste.

Beverage storage containers

Optimal packaging - dark glass alcohol bottles. They:

• protect from light;
• ensure the preservation of taste and useful qualities;
• suitable for decorating, creating beautiful wine honeycombs indoors.

Pour wine into clean and dry bottles. The container filled with alcohol is hermetically sealed, placed for 20 minutes in a container with water heated to +60 ° C. After they are taken to a place of permanent storage.

It is unacceptable to store wine in plastic containers from the supermarket. Plastic is not an obstacle to oxygen. Inside the container, active oxidative processes that destroy the product begin, the wine ferments, quickly becomes unsuitable for tasting.

It is acceptable to keep homemade wine in glass jars, in which preservation is usually done. But in this case, it is necessary to roll up the wine not with iron lids, but with glass, sealed with a silicone rim. In such a container, alcohol remains usable for 4-7 months.

Temperature

The optimum storage temperature is 12-13 °C. Moreover, it is undesirable that sharp temperature fluctuations exceeding 1.45 ° C occur in the room. Average annual temperature changes within 3-5 °C are acceptable.

It is unacceptable to store wine at high temperatures, as it accelerates oxidative processes, as a result, the product ages faster. If the temperature norm is exceeded by 8 °C, aging is accelerated by 2 times, but alcohol does not become of better quality. At high temperatures, oxidation reactions proceed too quickly, and substances that improve the taste of the drink do not have time to be synthesized.

At temperatures above +25 °C, the wine is actually slowly brewed. The result is a cloudy drink with the taste of melted sugar and dried fruit compote. At temperatures below +10 °C, the wine does not age, the taste does not improve. And even with low-temperature storage, the likelihood of the transition of tartaric acid to a solid form increases. Crystals appear in the drink, which can scratch the mucous membranes of the mouth when tasting.

Relative humidity

This indicator is important if the bottle is closed with a porous cork. Relative humidity in the storage area should be 50-60%. In a dry room, the cork dries out and cracks, and when the humidity is more than 80%, it becomes moldy.

UV radiation

Ultraviolet adversely affects the taste of the product. There is a taste of rotten wool, burnt rubber or rotten eggs.

White and sparkling spirits are most susceptible to direct sunlight. Red wine resists ultraviolet light longer, as it contains tannins, but still deteriorates after a while.

Incandescent lamps or LEDs must be installed in the storage area. Fluorescent lighting is not allowed, it emits ultraviolet light.

Bottle position

Wine bottles must lie horizontally. So the wine is constantly washing the cork, preventing it from drying out.

If the wine is planned to be consumed in a short time, then vertical storage is also acceptable. Bottles with non-porous stoppers can be stored in any position.

Vibrations

Wine ages badly if subjected to constant vibrations. Such an impact does not affect the taste, but the vibration does not allow sediment to settle. Suspension floats in the drink, and does not attach to the walls and bottom. As a result, the wine becomes cloudy, opaque.

How long can you keep a bottle of wine?

There is no definite answer. Shelf life is determined by a number of factors:

• pH level - the lower the acidity, the longer the wine is stored;
• concentration of phenols - the more of them, the longer the shelf life;
• a complex of non-volatile compounds in the composition - sugars, acids, phenols.

Alcohol from dark grapes is stored for 3-9 years, light - 2.5-3.3 years. A fortified sweet drink has a higher shelf life than a dry and semi-sweet one.

Young wine sent for storage must be checked every six months for changes in taste in order to correct the conditions in the room if necessary.

Can it be refrigerated?

Wine is kept in the refrigerator only after the bottle has been depressurized. You need to use it in a short time.

Corked bottles should not be stored on refrigerator shelves. Low temperature and periodic vibrations of household appliances adversely affect the quality of the product. Wine can also absorb food odors.

Features of storing homemade wine

The main task is to control the temperature and humidity of the air in the room.

Some owners include wine racks in their kitchen designs. This decor looks beautiful, the bottles lie horizontally, direct sunlight does not fall on the bottle glass. However, kitchen shelves are not the best option for storing alcohol. The kitchen is the warmest room in the home, where the gas stove and oven are turned on daily, and the temperature here does not meet the parameters required for wine.

In the cellar

The best option for placing bottles after wine fermentation is the cellar. Humidity and temperature parameters here are almost stable and optimal for stored alcohol. It is advisable to equip the room specifically for wine bottles: clean, install suitable lighting sources, equip comfortable shelving.

If the cellar is partially submerged into the ground, it is advisable to place a rack near the underground part of the wall. But if the humidity in the room exceeds 80%, then you should not keep the grape drink close to the floor.

In the apartment

The best option is to purchase a wine cabinet with a dark glass door, climate control and vibration protection. Small inexpensive cabinets store wine of one variety at a set temperature. And in large expensive cabinets, you can set different temperatures to store several types of alcohol.

You can also install a minibar with UV protection in the kitchen. In fact, this is a smaller analogue of a wine cabinet.

Homemade wine is usually kept in oak barrels. But many winemakers prefer to use dark glass bottles with porous corks. Fill the bottles completely so that there is no air between the liquid and the cork.

Storage time is determined by the type of home product:

• apple, plum and other fruit wine costs 3 years;
• rowan and other types of berry - 5 years;
• grape - 4 years.

Storage of wine after opening the container

The duration of storage of open alcohol is determined by its grade:

• red wine is good for consumption no longer than 5 days;
• white and pink - 3 days;
• sparkling should be consumed during the day;
• fortified is stored longer than others - up to a week.

The reason for the short shelf life after opening the bottle is the oxidation reaction that has begun, which continues even after the cork is returned to its place.

But after the expiration date, your favorite wine should not be thrown away immediately. It can be used to prepare gourmet hot dishes.

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