Tool
Storage conditions check
Assesses temperature, stability, humidity, light, vibration and closure against how long you intend to keep the wine.
Your storage assessment
Assessment
These conditions are suitable
Temperature
Fine15°C is in the ideal range. Around 12°C is the conventional target.
Temperature stability
FineA 3°C swing is fine. Stability matters more than hitting an exact number.
Light
FineDark storage is correct. Light strike is a genuine, well-documented fault.
Humidity
Fine65% is fine for cork.
Vibration
FineNot a concern. WineHQ notes that the evidence for vibration damage at domestic levels is weak, despite how often it is asserted.
What to do
- For medium-term storage, stability is the priority. A consistently 17°C cupboard beats a cellar that swings between 8°C and 22°C.
- Store cork-sealed bottles on their side so the cork stays in contact with the wine. Screwcap bottles can be stored either way.
- A domestic fridge is fine for a few days but too cold and too dry for months — and the vibration and light from the door are both worse there than in a cupboard.
Limits of this assessment
- This is an assessment of conditions, not a prediction about a specific bottle. Wines vary enormously in how well they tolerate imperfect storage.
- No storage advice can rescue a wine that was never built to age. Most wine is made to be drunk within a few years.