Wine Storage and Serving Tips

So you’ve bought or are considering buying some of our wine/gin (or stumbled upon this article some other way - welcome!). Awesome!

Proper storage ensures your wines retain their flavours and longevity so that you get the most out of every bottle. You may find that advice for storage varies from person to person and place to place, but these are what we find works best for our wines to get you started.

Wine (and Gin) Storage and Serving Tips

How do I store red wine?

Red wines are best stored below normal room temperature, between 13°C and 18°C (55°F and 65°F), but at bare minimum, keep them away from direct sunlight, vibration and heat. Aging red wines is optional and most of our wines drink well young or aged depending on your taste and preferences. If you’re specifically after wines to keep for a long time, we recommend our Reserve reds.

• Positioning: Our screw-top bottles can be stored upright or horizontally, but corked wines are best stored on their side to prevent corks drying out.
• Longevity: Most of our reds drink well now or within the first few years, but red wines, especially Reserve reds can store for up to 7 years with some positive changes to flavour characteristics. Longer than that is not necessary, though we have heard reports of wines being kept longer that have tasted fine - this is just not something we recommend on paper.
• After Opening: Recap bottle tightly. Refrigerate or store in a cool place and consume within 5 days. Red wine that’s been refrigerated can be left to sit for a little while to warm back up before drinking.

How do I store white wine?

White and rosé wines should be stored slightly cooler, around 10°C to 13°C (50°F to 55°F) but at bare minimum, keep them away from direct sunlight, vibration and heat. Refrigeration is also an option.

• Positioning: Our screw-top bottles can be stored upright or horizontally, but corked wines are best stored on their side to prevent corks drying out.
• Longevity: White wines are generally consumed young, within about 3 years of purchase. We have had some customers say that they have held onto our Reserve white wines much, much longer and still found them enjoyable, but their flavour is still best enjoyed in the first few years in our opinion.
• After Opening: Serve white and rosé wines chilled but not icy cold to bring out their best flavours. If they have been in the fridge, we recommend letting them warm up just a tad with your hands cupped around the glass or just left to sit a short while before consuming to experience them at their best. You can also lightly chill the wine by giving it a shorter stint of refrigeration. Consume within 5 days for optimal freshness.

How do I store sparkling wine?

Store sparkling wines at a temperature between 7°C to 10°C (45°F to 50°F) but at bare minimum, keep them away from direct sunlight, vibration and heat. Refrigeration is also recommended.

• Positioning: Upright for screw caps and crown caps to maintain pressure and carbonation. Unless you have a corked bottle, in which case sideways is best.
• Longevity: Sparkling wines should definitely be consumed as young as possible (within a year or two) - they will lose their fizz gradually as time goes by. As most sparkling wines are also made with white wine, and the recommendation of drinking young for whites also applies to their sparkling counterparts.
• After Opening: Chill sparkling wines to around 7°C (45°F) before serving for optimal enjoyment. Recap tightly (use cling wrap for corked or crown sealed bottles for extra airtightness) and keep unfinished wine in the fridge for up to 5 days, however you may notice a reduction in fizziness as the days go by.

How do I store preservative-free or no added preservative wine?

Ideally, preservative free wines should be stored at or below the optimum temperatures of their preservative-added counterparts - in fact, the cooler the better (above freezing).

• Positioning: Upright for metal caps is best but sideways is okay too - or sideways if your bottle is corked.
• Longevity: Preservative-free wines have a shorter shelf life so we recommend consuming them within 2 years from their time of production.
• After Opening: Recap tightly (use cling wrap for corked or crown sealed bottles for extra airtightness). Refrigerate and consume within 5 days. Red wine that’s been refrigerated can be left to sit for a little while to warm back up before drinking.

How do I store non-alcoholic or alcohol free wine?

Store non-alcoholic wines at the same temperatures as their alcoholic counterparts or lower.

• Positioning: Upright for metal caps is best but sideways is okay too - or sideways if your bottle is corked.
• Longevity: Wines without alcohol should generally be consumed young due to the lack of alcohol's usual contribution to preservation. We recommend finishing your non-alcoholic wine with in 2 years of purchasing or you may start to find it less pleasant to drink after that.
• Once Opened: Our non-alcoholic wines are treated with CO2 for freshness and some gas may be released when opening these bottles. Serve in similar ways to alcoholic counterparts (Red or white). Recap bottle tightly. Refrigerate and consume within 5 days. Red wine that’s been refrigerated can be left to sit for a little while to warm back up before drinking.

One extra thing to watch out for is heat emitted by electronics. Some customers have told us that they keep their wine beside or above their fridge - these places can get hot!

While we have our own take on the optimal ways to store your wine, if your methods differ slightly to what’s described above and you are still finding your wines pleasant, keep doing what works for you. However, if some of your wines aren’t tasting their best, these tips may save future bottles from spoilage.

But how can you tell if your wine has spoiled? 

Identifying Spoiled Wine

Generally if wine has spoiled, it will present with a mix of the following:

1. Unpleasant Odour: Unusual pungent smells such as vinegar, wet cardboard, or mould.

2. Change in Colour: Red wine that looks brownish or white wine that is dark or too yellow indicate oxidation.

3. "Off" Flavour: While it’s normal not to find all wines you taste to be enjoyable, if you are finding sharp, sour, metallic tastes or flatness and a change of taste from previous samplings of the same wine, this may indicate the wine is off.

4. Sediment or Cloudiness: Even fresh wines can contain a little bit of fruit sediment, however excessive amounts or cloudiness could be a cause for concern.

5. Bubbles or Foam in Still Wine: Gas let off by a bottle could indicate spoilage or oxidation, but it could also just be a case of dissolved gases from the preservation process surfacing, so check for other signs of spoilage alongside this one.

6. Damaged Cork: At Tamburlaine, we no longer use corks as we have opted for screw caps (and the occasional crown seal) in recent years instead. While the sensory joy of the pop of a cork will be missed, screw tops generally perform better at maintaining freshness, can be recapped and do not affect the wine’s taste or quality in any negative way (contrary to popular belief).

Cork taint or cork disintegration, especially in long-storing wine can and does occur, with corks being a biodegradable material. If you have a corked wine bottle, be sure to inspect the cork for cracks or leakage or excessive amounts of cork sediments throughout the wine after removal. A damaged cork can let air and bacteria into the bottle. Small amounts of sediment are normal, especially for wines that are stored for a long time, but exercise caution if you detect any of the other characteristics mentioned above that may indicate the wine is off.

 

Gin Storage and Serving Tips

For gins, they can keep a number of years unopened and the general rule is to store them somewhere dark cool, out of direct sunlight and heat. It's also best to keep your Herding Cats gins upright to prevent interaction of the beverage with the cork, and refrigeration is also an option. After opening, keep any unconsumed gin tightly sealed to prevent evaporation and oxidation. If there's only a small amount left, we recommend finding a new jar or container for the remainder with as small of an air pocket inside as possible.

 

Final Thoughts

It’s always better to be safe than sorry with fermented goods like wine. Get a second opinion where possible and if unsure, disposal might be the way to go. Check out our online store or drop into one of our Cellar Doors if you need ideas for replacements!