How to store homemade wine at home

Proper storage is crucial to preserving the flavor and quality of homemade wine over time. Although producing wine at home can be enjoyable and fulfilling, storing it properly will guarantee that all of your hard work is not in vain.

An entire batch or a few bottles can be stored, and the appropriate conditions can make all the difference. Temperature, exposure to light, and humidity all affect how long your wine lasts and how good it tastes.

We’ll walk you through the best ways to store homemade wine in this guide so you can continue to enjoy it for months or even years after it’s made.

Storage place and microclimate

A stone cellar with ventilation is the ideal location to store wine. It should continue to meet the requirements listed below:

1. Temperature within +14…16 ℃ for dessert wines and +10…12 ℃ for table wines.
2. Humidity about 80-85%, especially if the bottles are sealed with natural corks.
3. Minimum lighting. Wine spoils from light, so it is advisable to keep it in a dark place.
4. Rest. Even minor shaking is harmful to wine.
5. Cleanliness. The basement should be free of mold and fruits or vegetables prone to rotting.

Homemade wine should not be kept in an apartment because the conditions needed to keep it fresh cannot be met. This also holds true for the refrigerator: the contents are too cold, and frequent shaking ruins the drink. Frequent temperature changes on the balcony will deteriorate the wine.

Storage container

First things first, you must select the appropriate container.

Glass containers

Wine should be kept in glass jars or bottles for long-term storage. Select a volume that will allow you to consume the contents all at once; otherwise, the remainder will quickly go bad. Larger containers can be prepared in advance for large holidays, while smaller ones can be used for gatherings with friends or family for dinner.

You should insert corks into the bottles and then fill them with sealing wax to seal them. Jar lids with silicone seals are the recommended method of closure. If there aren’t any, you can use nylon or metal ones, but the drink’s shelf life will be reduced.

Homemade wine should not be kept longer than a year in a clear bottle or jar.

The type of wine determines how long it will last in a dark glass container.

• plum and cherry – 3 years;
• grape – 4 years;
• sea buckthorn and rowan – up to 5 years.

The drink’s shelf life is shortened to three to seven months if the lid is made of nylon or metal. You can leave 4 cm of space in the jar empty to stop the wine from getting in contact with the materials of the lid. The drink will oxidize slightly when exposed to air, but this will not significantly alter its flavor.

Plastic bottles

One important question to consider is whether homemade wine can be kept in plastic bottles and kept submerged, for example.

Wines aged no longer than three months and with an alcohol percentage of no more than 10–18% may be made using this technique. The bottle needs to have the numbers 1 or 2 and the markings PET (PETE) or HDPE on it. These marks are situated in an arrow-shaped triangle at the bottom. You cannot use plastic that has numbers 3 through 7 printed on it.

Wine is kept for no longer than seven months in plastic bottles.

Additionally, you cannot keep homemade wine in bottles that were once used to hold strong-smelling beverages like milk or beer. It is ideal if there was previously mineral or drinking water that has been purified.

The wine bottle needs to be ready before pouring:

1. Rinse it thoroughly with warm water at a temperature no higher than +25…30 ℃.
2. Make an iodine solution (1 ml per 2.5 l of water) and fill the bottle with it. In a separate container, lower the lids into the same solution.
3. After 40-60 minutes, pour out the solution and let the bottle dry.
4. Pour in the wine so that it does not reach the neck by 1-2 cm.

How much time can you keep wine in a container like that? The beverage should only be kept in a plastic container for three months.

Barrels

The flavor of wine is developed by aging it in barrels for one to two years. Long-term storage is not recommended with this method because up to one liter of wine can evaporate annually ("angels" share) through the wood’s porous structure.

The oak tree is required for the barrel because it secretes tannin, which gives the wine its unique flavor.

Wine that is aged in oak barrels has a distinct flavor.

Another crucial factor is the level of roasting:

1. Weak. Oak notes in a drink from such a barrel are less pronounced, but vanilla, floral and fruity flavors are felt. More suitable for white wines.
2. Medium. Vanilla notes are expressed more strongly, and a slight taste of almond, caramel and coconut appears.
3. Strong. Gives the wine a taste of chocolate and smoked meat. Usually, such barrels are used for aging strong drinks.

Using containers with a capacity of 2 to 10 liters is advised. They should not have a tap since it is a weak point in the construction and frequently leaks heavily. Before serving, the beverage can be poured into a decorative barrel using a tap.

Barrels from strongly scented products, like cucumbers, are not suitable for use.

The following is how preparation is done:

1. Fill the barrel with filtered water at room temperature by 90% and close for 3-4 hours.
2. Carefully inspect the bottom and walls. If there is a slight leak, it will subsequently eliminate itself. If the leak is strong, the barrel must be repaired or replaced.
3. Fill the container to the top with water, close it and put it in a room with room temperature. If the leak is small, add water until the wood swells and the leak stops.
4. Change the water after three days. The old liquid will be dark brown or dirty yellow.
5. After another day, empty the contents of the barrel and rinse it with boiling water at a rate of 1 liter per 10 liters of container volume. After pouring it in, shake the container to thoroughly rinse the walls. Then fill the barrel with fresh water again.
6. Change the water daily until it remains colorless after being in the barrel. On average, this takes from 3 to 6 weeks.
7. Boil the water (50% of the barrel volume). Then cool it to about +70 ℃ and add soda at a rate of 20 g per 1 liter. Pour the solution into the barrel and shake it vigorously for 10 minutes.
8. Fill the barrel to the top with hot water, and after 15 minutes replace it with cold water.
9. After 10 hours, the barrel can be used, but some experts recommend first filling it with odorless double distillate diluted to 18-20°, and keeping it for 30 to 45 days.

You must periodically add fresh wine to replace the evaporated portion while storing wine for an extended period of time.

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On the festive table, wine can be served from a beautiful barrel that has a tap.

Many winemakers prefer to use this method despite the challenges involved in preparation; proper aging in an oak barrel greatly enhances the flavor.

Homemade wine must be stored in a cool, dark location—ideally between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit—away from light and extremes in temperature. The bottles must also be kept on their sides to maintain the cork’s moisture and seal.

Storing wine after uncorking the container

Wine oxidizes when exposed to air, so it should not be kept out of the refrigerator for an extended period of time. Particularly fast-aging wines lose quality.

To better express its flavor and aroma, the wine must first "breathe," but oxygen contact soon starts to degrade the wine’s quality.

Pour the remaining beverage into a smaller container and seal it tightly. Following that, it can be kept in the refrigerator at home. Depending on the type of drink, the shelf life after opening varies:

You can experiment by trying out different recipes and making delicious home-made wine when you own your own vineyard. However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that this beverage is a type of living organism, whose maturation process doesn’t finish for several years and whose outcome is mostly dependent on how it’s stored.

To ensure that the drink ages well and brings out its best flavors, it is imperative that you closely adhere to all of the instructions.

Storing homemade wine properly is essential to preserving its quality and flavor. By following the right guidelines, you can enjoy your wine for months or even years to come.

Store the wine in a cool, dark location that is shielded from heat sources and sunshine. By doing this, you can keep its flavor intact and stop it from going bad too soon.

If the bottles have corks, make sure to store them horizontally so the cork stays moist and sealed. It’s okay to store wines with screw caps upright.

You can prolong the freshness and enjoyment of your homemade wine by following these easy tips.

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