A quick search for how to store wine at home will yield a few general rules: Store bottles on their side, in a cool place, and away from natural light. Most pros agree that the best place to keep unopened bottles is a wine fridge, which safely regulates wine’s temperature in a space that is protected from sunlight. But not every oenophile has a wine fridge of their own, which begs the question: Can wine be stored in a standard refrigerator?
When aging wine, it’s important to protect it from bright light, as over-exposure can lead to adverse chemical reactions and degradation. As most refrigerators use brighter standard light bulbs as opposed to the soft LED lights found in wine fridges, de Pano avoids storing age-worthy wines in her kitchen fridge.
If you want to store wine in the refrigerator, suggests only doing so for bottles that you plan on drinking within the week. “Storing wines that you plan on consuming immediately lessens the risk of cork shrinkage occurring, since the time spent in the fridge is minimal,” she says.
So, is the refrigerator the best option for storing wine? Certainly not. “Wine storage is simple — keep it stable both in temperature and movement “This means away from temperature swings, direct light, and vibrations.”
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