The world of wine is a complicated one, easily proved by the fact understanding it is an actual full-time job, complete with a title that can be difficult to pronounce. But without the rich education and experience required of certified sommeliers , your good wine can easily go to waste. One of the easiest mistakes to accidentally make a good wine go bad is to store it improperly.
So you never make this wine-drinking mistake again, we sought out the exclusive advice of Lexi Stephens, Southern California sommelier and owner of Lexi's Wine List , on the best way to store wine. "I always recommend storing your bottles in a cool, dark place," she says, and she offers this secret about where to do that: "A wine fridge is ideal, but if you don't have one, a closet or under the bed works, too." She adds: "Make sure the bottles are laying horizontally, so the wine is always in contact with the cork.
" Why you should store wine horizontally, and other tricks from Lexi Stephens Turns out horizontal storage is about maintaining the cork, and indirectly about the wine as well. By keeping your bottles on their side (or even pointing down at a slight incline), the wine keeps the cork damp, causing it to expand. This keeps the bottle sealed properly, because if it's not dampened, the opposite happens, and it shrinks.
A shrinking cork opens up your wine, literally, to air, potentially letting it oxidize uncontrolled, which causes all kinds of nasty effects such as ruining its flavor and smell.
