Tips for Storing Wine at Home Without a Wine Cellar

by
Updated on February 24th, 2020

From Philadelphia to Sacramento, wine lovers span across the United States consuming 4 billion bottles of wine in just one year! But many of you may question whether you’re storing your beloved bottles correctly. Even if your home isn’t equipped with a wine cellar, you can still store wine in ideal conditions to preserve and maximize aging potential. We’ve asked the experts to share their secrets to storing wine that can help prevent spoilage so you can still uncork and unwind, no cellar necessary.

Avoid heat and sunlight

The best place to store wine in your home is in a cool, dark place where the temperature doesn’t change much over the course of the year. Ideally, this would be a basement, but could also be a closet, the closer to the floor the better. -Bettina Sichel, Laurel Glen Vineyard

Basements are a great place to store and age wine. For those without a basement, an interior closet or under a first-floor bed are the next best options. Since heat rises, store your wine as close to the floor as possible to prevent rapid temperature fluctuation. – Dave Rice, Chehalem Winery

Get creative when stashing your wine

Homeowners are concerned with keeping their wine at the right temperature, but they forget the other two culprits to wearing it down. Direct light, noise, and movement. These are all big contributors to wreaking havoc on your precious bottles. It is always more important to keep your wine at the same consistent temperature in a dark, cool, and quiet space. Tertulia Cellars

It’s important to store your wine somewhere without excess light or heat fluctuations while keeping it laying on its side. This could include a dedicated wine cellar, a pantry, or even under your bed! For the longest time, I stored my wine laying flat in plastic storage boxes under my bed, keeping them cool and out of the sunlight. –Paige Comrie, Wine with Paige

People love storing wine in their kitchen or above their refrigerator for quick and easy access—but those are often the warmest areas in your house. Store wine in a cool, dark closet at the center of your home, away from windows and appliances. Another great option is a temperature-controlled wine storage facility like the Wine Collector’s Room in downtown Santa Barbara, which has lockers wine lovers can rent each month for their personal cellar. –Carr Vineyards & Winery 

Avoid extreme temperature adjustments

It is not as important to keep wine at 55 degrees constantly, but that you avoid wine swings between 40 and 80 degrees. This means keep it out of the light, away from heat vents, and away from doorways. -Jessica Mozeico, Et Fille Wines

Consistent temperature is more important than the actual temperature. With constant changing temperatures the wine expands and contracts in the bottle which will accelerate the aging. -Scott Harvey, Scott Harvey Wines

Find the right humidity

Store your wines with your furs. Just like furs, wines need a dark place that has moderate humidity – 50%. You want to prevent the cork from drying out.  Avoid direct sunlight and a damp basement. –Vino 301

Saving the bottle for a special occasion

If you are hanging onto a bottle or two for a special occasion, we recommend storing it out of sight and out of mind. Our favorite hiding place is on its side, under the kitchen sink. It’s actually kind of perfect if you think about it. Cool, dark, and since it’s where you store your cleaning supplies, you know your husband will never find it. Naked Winery

Decide when you want to drink your wine. If it’s something special that you want to age for a few years, put it in a box, seal it, and write the date on it. You won’t be as tempted to open it early and you won’t forget to drink it at the optimum time. Burnt Bridge Cellars

When you’re hosting  

If your home occasionally gets hot or cold and you keep wine for more than a few weeks you should consider a small wine refrigerator. These have become very affordable in recent years and are nice to have visible in whatever room you entertain guests. –David Glancy, San Francisco Wine School

For storing an open bottle of wine, use your Sodastream to blow the air out of the bottle before sticking the cork back in. Don’t try to pressurize the wine bottle! Just put the Sodastream injector about 1” into the open wine bottle. Eleven Winery

When making an ice bucket to keep a bottle chilled, make sure to add about 1/3 of water. This will chill the bottle much quicker than just the ice. -Last Wine Down 

Consider the color when storing

If you are into orange or rose wines and aren’t sure how they should be stored our best recommendation is to think about how long they had skin contact for. The less skin contact (thus likely lighter color), the cooler the temperature you should store your wines. MYSA Natural Wine

Keep it sideways

Wine storage at home is simple, even if you don’t have a basement or a wine fridge. Store wine in the horizontal position, away from any direct source of heat, away from direct sunlight, and away from any source of vibration. Talk-A-Vino

Storing your wine in a horizontal position keeps the cork moist by having constant contact with the wine. If your cork dries out, it increases the risk of “corked” wine.Three Sisters Winery & Earlco Vineyards

Lexi is part of the content marketing team and enjoys writing about real estate and design trends. Her dream home would be a contemporary home with an open floor plan, lots of windows, and a waterfront view.
Scroll to Top