A Sommelier's Secret For Where To Store Your Wine

The world of wine is a complicated one, easily proved by the fact understanding it is an actual full-time job, complete with a title that can be difficult to pronounce. But without the rich education and experience required of certified sommeliers, your good wine can easily go to waste. One of the easiest mistakes to accidentally make a good wine go bad is to store it improperly.

So you never make this wine-drinking mistake again, we sought out the exclusive advice of Lexi Stephens, Southern California sommelier and owner of Lexi's Wine List, on the best way to store wine. "I always recommend storing your bottles in a cool, dark place," she says, and she offers this secret about where to do that: "A wine fridge is ideal, but if you don't have one, a closet or under the bed works, too." She adds: "Make sure the bottles are laying horizontally, so the wine is always in contact with the cork."

Turns out horizontal storage is about maintaining the cork, and indirectly about the wine as well. By keeping your bottles on their side (or even pointing down at a slight incline), the wine keeps the cork damp, causing it to expand. This keeps the bottle sealed properly, because if it's not dampened, the opposite happens, and it shrinks. 

A shrinking cork opens up your wine, literally, to air, potentially letting it oxidize uncontrolled, which causes all kinds of nasty effects such as ruining its flavor and smell. However, not all oxidation is bad. Controlled oxidation — that is, decanting, aerating, and "letting it breathe" — can be key parts of enjoying certain wines, such as young reds. It's only the uncontrolled, continuous oxidation you want to avoid.

But this only covers wine you haven't opened yet. Thankfully, Lexi Stephens gave us some quick guidelines for storing that half-bottle you've got left after dinner, too. "Both red and white wines should be stored in the fridge after opening," she says. "White wines will last about five to seven days and reds will last about three to five days." Of course, you may already keep your red wine in the refrigerator, in which case, carry on.