A cellar does not have to be a vaulted room beneath a chateau. It is simply somewhere wine can rest in cool, steady, dark conditions, together with a plan for what goes in and when it comes out.
The Conditions Wine Needs
How wine is stored decides how it ages. Five conditions matter most:
- A cool, steady temperature: between 10 and 15 degrees C, ideally around 12 to 13. Stability matters more than the exact number, because repeated warming and cooling ages wine quickly and can push out the cork.
- Moderate humidity: roughly 60 to 75 percent keeps natural corks from drying out and letting in air.
- Darkness: ultraviolet light damages wine, and clear or pale glass bottles are the most vulnerable.
- Stillness: keep bottles away from vibration, such as a washing machine or a busy road.
- Bottles on their side: store cork-sealed bottles lying down so the cork stays in contact with the wine. Screwcap bottles can stand upright.
Where to Keep It
For most people, a temperature-controlled wine cabinet is the simplest answer, holding anything from a dozen to a few hundred bottles at a steady temperature and humidity. A cool interior cupboard or a corner of a basement can work well for wines you plan to drink within a year or two, as long as it is dark and does not swing in temperature. Avoid the kitchen and the top of the fridge, where heat and vibration do the most harm. For valuable wines meant to age for decades, many collectors use professional storage, where conditions are controlled and the provenance of each bottle is recorded.
