January is usually a time of year when people decide to make a few healthy changes, at least in the short term; dieting, exercise and abstinence from alcohol are common. You may also find that you have quite a bit of wine left over from the festive season, either received as gifts or unopened leftovers from Christmas dinner and New Year’s. If you don’t plan on indulging in wine for a while, it is always good to know where and how to store your bottles. Here’s a few tips;
 

• Keeping your wine in the dark – Long term exposure to light will destroy your wines, so it’s probably best not to keep your wine anywhere where it is too bright. The cupboard is a good option, provided that…

 

• You can store the wine on its side – For long term storage, with should be kept on its side. In the absence of a wine cellar, a well placed wine rack in the garage or shed is usually a safe bet.  This is especially true with wines that are sealed with cork. The cork should be kept in near constant contact with the liquid to keep them from drying out. If the cork dries out, oxygen can get inside the bottle and begin turning the wine to vinegar, which can make for a rather unpleasant experience upon opening a fine bottle gifted to you or saved for a special occasion.

 
 

• Don’t store whites and bubbles in the fridge – A common misconception about sparkling wines and white wines is that they should be permanently stored in the fridge. This really is a bad idea long term, as the cold will start to deaden the flavours, leaving you with a bland, flavourless wine lacking fruit. Also, speaking from experience, if a bottle of champagne decides to explode in your fridge, it is both messy and destructive, so keep them in the wine rack and pop them in the fridge 2-3 hours before drinking.

 
If you follow these simple guidelines, you can be sure that your wines will be in good condition for the end of your January detox.
Cheers, and a Happy New Year from all of us at JN.