Posted on Wednesday, 8th October 2025
Produced, consumed and enjoyed around the world, red wine is loved by many, and can be perfectly preserved over time. If you want to enjoy the best taste even when your bottles have been sitting on the shelf for a while, there’s a correct way to store your favourite red wine and make sure it can age well.
Our experts are here to share their tips on storing your beverage like a sommelier, whether it’s unopened, or you’ve already had a glass or two. Vlatka Lake, our storage expert, says “it’s all dependent on the type of wine you buy - a cheaper bottle of red doesn’t benefit from aging over time, and so is much better when it’s consumed at the same time as buying it.” If you’re building up a collection and need somewhere to store it, our self storage units are available in a wide range of sizes, and are there for as long as you need them.
There’s a handful of wines that are perfect for aging, and that tend to taste even better over time:
Storing each bottle on its side will help to keep the cork moist, protecting the wine from oxygenating and taking on foreign aromas.
It’s important to keep your wine out of direct sunlight for long, as too much UV light can affect the taste. Known as light strike, too much time in the sun could make your wine taste sour and jammy. Most bottles are manufactured with UV glass that helps to combat exposure, but to be extra safe, we recommend storing in a dark space, like a cupboard, pantry or storage unit.
Unopened wine doesn’t need to be kept in the fridge - the ideal temperature for the vast majority of red wine is between 13˚C to 18˚C. If you’re planning to crack open the bottle anytime soon though, a warmer room temperature is fine.
If you’re not planning to drink the full bottle in one sitting, re-cork it to keep the wine fresh. Keeping it closed helps to limit the amount of oxygen that it comes into contact with, and helps maintain the flavour for longer.
Most wines last longer once opened in the fridge. The cooler temperatures help to slow down the wine from oxidizing, so you can enjoy it for slightly longer. Once your bottle has been opened though, you should aim to drink it within three to five days.
Not only does storing your opened red wine upright help to stop any leakages, but it also helps to stop it from losing its tasty flavour and aromas.
Natural oxidation will start to change your wine’s colour and taste, but this doesn’t always mean that it’s gone bad. Start by checking its colour- red wines will start to darken to a brown shade over time. Next, give it a taste - if the flavours are a little lacklustre and flat, then unfortunately it means that your wine has gone bad.
If left for a long time, red wine will naturally oxidise and lose its flavour and aroma. Once opened, keep it at room temperature and consume in a couple of days.
Eventually, yes. All wines will have a ‘peak’ in their aging process, where they will have matured to their maximum. When red wine has reached this point, it will be undrinkable, so we’d always recommend reading the aging instructions on the bottle.
The ideal age for your red wine really depends on the type of wine it is. Factors like the grape growing process and region it was produced in all determine the aging time: as a starting point, research the grapes used to grow your wine.
