Fridge and wine don't always get along.

Storing sparkling wine and prosecco

[ See the selection of sparkling wine and prosecco ]
If you happen to open a bottle of sparkling wine and then need to store it, do so for a maximum of one or two days, but seal it well with special sparkling wine stoppers. Keep it in the refrigerator. This way, we keep the wine's overpressure in check and prevent excessive degassing of the product.
Do this whether you’re dealing with a white or red sparkling wine like Lambrusco.
 

Storing red wines

[ See the selection of red wines ]
If you need to store a red wine, do not put it in the fridge; keep it in a cool place but at a minimum temperature of 10 – 12 degrees. The fridge tends to alter the quality of the product because once opened, red wine tends to regain its balance between hard and soft parts, and it wouldn’t withstand another thermal shock. Let it mature in the bottle; sometimes, after a day or two, there are wines that offer delightful surprises. 
 

Storing still white wines

[ See the white wines ]
If you need to store a white wine, keep it in the fridge, especially if it is a simple wine, not particularly structured. If it is a complex white wine requiring aging, keep it at a cool temperature of at least 10 – 12 degrees. Like red wine, the 4 – 6 degrees of the fridge could alter its balance. 
 

Storing dessert wines

[ See the selection of dessert wines ]
With sweet wines, it is always preferred to keep them in the refrigerator, even in the less cold part.
For desserts with a high glycerol and structural content, a slightly higher temperature (10 – 12°) would be better. It is not worth leaving them at room temperature for too long as oxidative phenomena in this case could negatively alter their organoleptic dimensions.

Do you want to know the 6 fundamental parameters your cellar should have for wines to be preserved well? We asked Bernardo Pasquali to tell us about them in "The ideal cellar". 

S&M