Wine Storage Humidity

It is important to store wine bottles on their side and in environments with humidity conditions ranging from 50 to 70 percent when storing and aging fine wine for more than 2 years. Otherwise, natural corks can dry out and become brittle, thereby allowing air to seep into the wine bottle and cause the wine to taste flat, stale and bittersweet. For bottles sealed with synthetic corks and screw-tops, the humidity conditions in the wine cellar are less critical.

Storing wine bottles on their sides ensures that the corks inside the bottles will remain moist as they stay in contact with the wine. Because sediment eventually will collect on the bottom side of bottles, they should not be disturbed or exposed to vibration during their aging process.

Humidity conditions ranging from 50 to 70 percent will ensure that corks will remain moist on the outside. Again, this will protect against the cork drying out and becoming brittle, which will allow air to seep into the wine bottle and spoil the wine.

Too much humidity can create problems, too. When humidity levels rise above 65 to 70 percent, mold will grow and cause damage to wine bottle labels over time.

For centuries, wine has been stored in underground caves because of their cool temperatures, high humidity and dark conditions. More recently, custom wine cellars and premium wine cabinets have emerged as excellent solutions for proper long-term storage and aging of fine wine.