Our Texas love for wine has spurred many Houstonians to start their own wine collections. Starting a wine collection is easy, but figuring out how to store your wine is trickier. Unlike most foods, wine needs to be stored under some rather stringent conditions to stay in perfect condition. So that’s why we’re here to help with your wine storage in Houston, TX. Read on to discover how to ensure your vino is always ready to fill your glass and make your day!
Wine is one of America’s most popular drinks, and here in Houston, Texas, it’s no different. You might have heard that the culinary scene in Houston is one of America’s most vibrant and revered. As you might guess, Houston’s wine scene has evolved simultaneously, and today is one of America’s best.
For example, you’ll find fantastic wine lists at many Houston restaurants (not just the fancy eateries). Houston is also judgment-free when it comes to wine. So you can discover new varieties, grapes, and growers without trepidation. Also, there are bars inside bottle shops and restaurants with spectacular wine showrooms. You can even take home your favorite bottle after sipping a glass at dinner. So make sure you’re ready to store your favorite wines when you find them!
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Avoid Extreme Houston, TX Temperatures
The thing about wine is that it can spoil easily if not stored correctly. One of the worst things that can happen to a bottle of wine is to endure significant temperature swings. The worst place to store wine is a location that starts cool but gets hotter as the day progresses. The temperature change can push the cork in and out of your wine bottle. As it does, it can ruin the wine inside, making it undrinkable.
What does that mean for your wine collection? You need to store it in a location where the temperature stays constant. Not just throughout the day but the entire year. Also, it needs to be a constant lower temperature, not cold but not even close to warm. By the way, the best temps to store red and white wines vary only slightly. Red can be stored at slightly higher temperatures than white, but you can store both in the same location. Speaking of temperature…
Strive for 55 Degree Wine Storage
Wine experts agree that the optimum storage temperature for wine is 55°F (13°C). That, frankly, is quite cold, and most Houston, TX, homes don’t keep the temperature that low. To achieve a temp of 55°F on a stable, ongoing basis, a wine cellar or wine refrigerator is the best choice. Of course, one small problem in Houston is that basements are practically nonexistent. That effectively rules out a wine cellar. With no cellar, a wine fridge is your only real choice for home wine storage in Houston at 55°F.
Houston Wine Storage in the Dark
Aside from temperature swings, sunlight is one of the worst things for wine. Even regular light isn’t recommended as it can cause the flavor and aroma of wines to change. For that reason, storing your wine in a dark area and keeping it dark is recommended. Put the light on when you grab a bottle or two but never leave it on for long. As for storing your wine anywhere natural sunlight reaches, that’s a huge no-no. (The sun’s UV rays are devastating to wine.) A dark place that stays dark 24/7 is best for wine storage.
A Little Wine on the Side
Keeping the cork in a bottle of wine moist is imperative. If it dries out, the wine inside can become undrinkable. Plus, it’s best that the sediment in wine forms along the bottom length of the bottle. For that reason, laying your wine on its side is best. A wine rack made of wood, metal, or plastic works fine. However, standing it up is perfectly fine if you buy a bottle and plan to drink it immediately.
Pass the Smell Test
You might not think strong smells would affect a bottle of wine, but you’d be wrong. Cleaning chemicals, mold, mildew, and anything with a genuinely strong scent can penetrate the cork and affect your wine’s flavor. (And not in a good way.) Remove wherever’s causing the odor, or store your wine somewhere else, far from anything that smells extremely strong.
The Perfect Wine Storage in Houston, TX
If your wine collection is outgrowing your home, or you don’t want an expensive wine fridge, iStorage can help. Although we have self-storage locations all over Houston, one of them is very special. It’s our self-storage location on Almeda Road in the Houston Museum District, blocks away from Hermann Park Golf Course.
What’s so special about this self-storage location? It’s got genuine, bonafide wine storage lockers! These specialized lockers keep your wine at the perfect temperature (56° F) and humidity (50-60%). Completely insulated, they protect your wine from light, heat, and temperature swings better than a wine fridge!
The Almeda Road iStorage location has 90 wine lockers in several sizes to fit every wine collection, including:
- 3×3
- 4×3
- 5×3
- 5×5
- 5×7.5
- 10×10
Also, all our wine lockers are inside the facility for the ultimate protection from sun, weather, and wine bandits! They’re completely climate-controlled! In short, they’re the perfect wine storage solution right here in the heart of Houston, TX!
Houston, TX Wine Storage Tips Brought to You by iStorage
iStorage is very pleased to offer our genuine wine storage in Houston, TX. We have 9 other self-storage locations in the city, though, ready for anything you need to store. All are clean, safe, and feature 24/7 video security and on-site managers.
If you have questions about self-storage in Houston, TX, you have two options. The first is to chat with us online. The second is to visit the iStorage self-storage center nearest you. The on-site manager will be happy to show you around and help you choose the best Houston storage units.
By the way, for a list of the best wine bars in Houston, click here. And if you find yourself without a corkscrew, here are some tips to open a bottle of wine without one!
Again, though, if it’s a wine collection you need to store, our Almeda Road self-storage location is a perfect choice. If keeping your wine collection pristine and safe is your goal, it’s the best option in Houston, Texas!