Barossa Wines – Storing & Cellaring Wines   

We all know how great Barossa wines taste, and if you enjoy a good quality bottle of wine, then here are some tips on how to cellar and store your wine correctly.  Whether you are a wine connoisseur, a wine enthusiast, or know nothing about wine except what bottle you enjoy drinking, these simple tips can help you to ensure your Barossa wines, whether kept for a few days, weeks, months or years, will always taste good, and only get better with time.  

·         Remember to store your wine in a cool dark place.  The ideal temperature to store wine is at 10 ° Celsius.  Not only is the cool temperature important, but the wine must be stored somewhere where there is sufficient humidity in the air, to keep the cork properly sealed, and in a frost-free environment.  Avoid your wine being stored in direct sunlight, as the light and heat from the light can ruin a wine.  For these reasons a cellar is the best place to store wine.  If you do not have a cellar, and are keen to keep your wines stored well, you can invest in a temperature and humidity controlled cabinet, similar to a refrigerator.  Called a Eurocave, these come in a range of sizes, however they do cost money, but will keep your wine in a perfect cellaring environment.  No matter what Barossa wines you are storing, whether red, white, fortified, or sparkling, all need to be stored in this similar sort of temperate environment. 

·         Store bottles lying on their side, this ensures the cork does not dry out.  With the newer metal screwcap tops and plastic ‘corks’ this is not necessary.  Champagne and sparkling wines may be stored upright. 

·         For white wines, do not keep these refrigerated for too long, if kept refrigerated for more than a few weeks, the flavour of the wine will be deadened and reduced. 

·         If cellaring wines for several years, lightly spray the labels with unscented hairspray, this will stop them from being damaged by damp. 

·         Keep bottles stored in their original wooden cases, if they are bought with these.  If you are purchasing wine to age and possibly sell later on at auction, then it is important to keep all packaging that the bottle came with. 

·         If you are a keen wine connoisseur, then you are able to store your wine with wine merchants.  This is great for wines that need ageing, ie several years ageing.  These storing facilities are professional and your bottles are clearly marked as belonging to you. 

If you look after your wines, you will ensure that when you come to drinking them, you will have excellent tasting Barossa wines to enjoy and share with family and friends.  If you are keen to purchase Barossa wines that will age well and will increase in value and produce a good investment return later down the track, then there are some excellent wine purchases that have a good proven track history of ageing well and increasing in value over time.  So seek professional advice and ensure you follow these simple cellaring and storing techniques in order to protect your top quality Barossa wines.