By Shae Frichette, Co-Owner and Co-Winemaker of Frichette Winery
Storing your wine in a cool, dark wine cellar? Yes! A temperature-controlled wine refrigerator? Of course. A corner in your house where the temperature doesn’t swing wildly? Perfect. The top of your refrigerator? Please, no!
We see this way too much. You buy a bottle of really good wine, like a Frichette Cabernet Sauvignon, and decide to save it for a special occasion. So you put it on top of the refrigerator. Six months later, the cork is pushing its way out. We’ve all been there. So here are tips on how to store your wine so it’s just as amazing when you drink it as it was when you purchased it.
For long-term storage, aim for temps around 55°F…give or take. More important than hitting exactly 55°F is keeping the temperature stable. Wine doesn’t enjoy temperature roller coasters. If your wine is going from 65°F late morning to 80°F in the afternoon and back down at night, it’s experiencing a lot of stress.
We know a little something about temperature swings. At Frichette, we’re on Red Mountain, right outside the Tri-Cities in Eastern Washington. Our summer days can be scorching, and nighttime temperatures drop dramatically. The vines benefit from those swings. Your bottle of Frichette Cabernet? Not so much. So finding temperature-stable areas for wine is important for healthy, stable, delicious wine.
Wine also dislikes excessive light, especially direct sunlight. A dark cabinet, pantry or basement is usually a much better home.
So where should you store your Frichette wine?
If you’re lucky enough to have a temperature-controlled wine cellar, congratulations. We are jealous. Otherwise, look for a cool, dark, temperature-stable place in your home.
Good:
- Wine refrigerator
- Basement
- Cool interior closet
Not so good:
- Garage that becomes an oven in August
- Sunny kitchen counter
- Above the refrigerator
When you’re saving a bottle of Frichette Merlot, Malbec, Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah or Reserve Blend for that dinner you’ve been planning or the dinner you haven’t planned yet, give it a proper home. Keep it in a cool, dark and temperature-stable space.
If you look in your kitchen and notice you have wines stored near your refrigerator, you’re not alone. We’re winemakers, and we’re sharing this because we’ve learned the hard way.
Wine is patient. It will wait for your special occasion. It just doesn’t want to spend the next six months sweating above the refrigerator.
Shae Frichette is co-owner and co-winemaker of Frichette Winery on Red Mountain in Benton City, Washington, where she and her husband, Greg, make wines with a healthy respect for the vineyard and a healthy distrust of wine stored on top of the refrigerator.
