Skip to content
REFRIGERATION

Food storage

How to store wine

Wine is sensitive to heat, light, vibration and temperature swings. High temperatures speed up ageing and can cook wine, flattening fruit flavours; temperature swings make the wine expand and contract, which can push corks and let air in. For storage, wine professionals generally recommend a steady temperature somewhere in the range of about +10 to +15 °C, in darkness, with moderate humidity to keep corks from drying. Serving temperatures vary by style: whites, rosés and sparkling wines are served chilled, reds a little below room temperature in most Indian settings.

  • Chilled+10 to +15 °C (storage)
  • HumidityAbout 50–80% RH (corked bottles)

Do

  • Store wine in a cool, dark, steady space, ideally a wine cooler or a dedicated cabinet set to the warmer end of its range.
  • Store corked bottles on their sides so the cork stays moist.
  • Chill whites, rosés and sparkling wines in a cooler or ice bucket before service.
  • In hot dining rooms, briefly chill red wine as well, so it is served cool rather than warm.
  • Rotate stock and keep a log of fast- and slow-moving labels.
  • Keep wine away from strong odours and vibration from compressors.
  • Follow the storage conditions in your state excise licence.

Avoid

  • Do not store wine near kitchens, ovens or windows.
  • Do not keep wine in a standard fridge for long periods; it is colder and drier than ideal.
  • Do not move wine repeatedly between hot and cold spaces.
  • Do not leave opened bottles at room temperature without resealing.

In Indian conditions

Indian restaurants and bars face ambient temperatures far above ideal wine storage for much of the year. Many store wine in hot storerooms or display it in sunlit racks, which damages it quickly. A dedicated wine cabinet, or a glass-door cooler set at its warmest setting, is the practical answer. Red wine served at Indian 'room temperature' of 30 °C or more tastes flat and alcoholic; chilling it slightly improves it. Excise rules and licence conditions vary by state; follow them.

General good practice for commercial kitchens and shops. Where your FSSAI licence conditions or food-safety plan set stricter limits, follow those.