For unopened bottles of wine you do want to make sure that they are always kept in the dark. Direct sunlight and fluorescent fixtures are not good for the wine and can actually spoil it. If the bottle is a corked bottle then make sure that it is laying flat on its side. This is to prevent the cork from drying out. If the cork dries out it will allow air into the wine, which will spoil it.

Another important part of making sure that you are storing your wine properly is to make sure that you are keeping your wine at a constant temperature. If you are planning on aging your wine for longer then a year then refrigeration is a must. While in some parts of the world people can get away with nothing more then below ground cellar storage, most cannot, as it simply is not cool enough.

Something that not a lot of people realize is that they should move the wine as little as possible. This means that you will want to position your wine exactly how you want it from the beginning. Moving the wine on purpose or through the vibrations of motors or heavy traffic can and will seriously affect the wine.

Humidity is another thing that you are going to have to take into consideration. If you allow the humidity to go over seventy percent then mold can grow. A simple purchase of a hygrometer will allow you to track the condition of the moisture in the air. Use different techniques as needed to adjust the humidity as needed.

Ever hear that wine breathes? Because the cork enables some air to get through to the wine you must make sure that you are not storing the wine with anything that has a strong smell or odor to it. If you do then you will probably notice that the wine will end up tainted. You have to have decent ventilation in order to give your wine the best shot at making it through the storage process unharmed.

And what about the timelines for storage? Not every wine will improve with age. A cheap wine will not get much better then it already is so there is not much that you can do about that. Nice red wines can age anywhere from two to ten years. Excellent White Burgundies can be ages for over twenty years. Make sure that you double-check the aging requirements and time limits for each new wine you bring home.

Now that you have stored your wine properly it is time to drink it. Before you serve the wine you will need to make sure that you are adjusting the temperature of the wine before serving it. Deep red wines need to be between 59-66F. Light reds need to be about 55F. Dry white wines should be in the range of 46-57F. Once it is all said and done you will have the perfect wines for dinner or dessert.