GoKawiilA wine fridge is nice to have and probably a good idea if you're a bulk buyer, collector or particular about the temperature at which it's served. Without a wine fridge or dedicated cellar, you'll want to choose a storage spot carefully. Most important is keeping wine out of danger zones that can cook your wine in days, rendering it undrinkable.
A truly beautiful bottle is only as great as the environment it lives in, and certain spots in the house are clear no-gos, according to experts. While you might think you know the basics -- no direct sunlight, somewhere cool and dry -- there is still plenty of gray area when it comes to where to keep your stash and where not to.
To get the facts straight on what reds, whites, and sparkling wines actually need to stay in peak condition, I turned to two experts who know their way around a cellar: Liz Martinez, general manager and sommelier at Centrolina in Washington, DC, and Beki Miller, advanced sommelier and beverage manager at Caramá by Wolfgang Puckhttps://mandalaybay.mgmresorts.com/en/restaurants/carama.html#link={%22linkText%22:%22Caramá by Wolfgang Puck %22,%22target%22:%22_blank%22,%22href%22:%22https://mandalaybay.mgmresorts.com/en/restaurants/carama.html%22,%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22}in Las Vegas.
Here's what every wine lover should know about storing bottles properly.
1. On top of the fridge
The heat emitted from the top of your fridge can decimate wine in just a few days. Joey Kotfica/Getty Images
While you may have ample space to line or stack bottles on top of your fridge, it's far from ideal.
"Refrigerators give off heat and vibrate constantly, both of which accelerate aging and degrade quality," explains Miller. "You don't need specialized equipment to store wine well. You just need the least bad option."
"My go-to solution is simple: boxes of wine on the floor of an interior closet, with the bottles stored on their sides," she says. "This keeps the cork from drying out and protects the wine from light and vibration. I also store wine in a box under the bed, which offers a dark, quiet and relatively stable environment without taking up valuable space."
2. In fact, most of the kitchen is off limits
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