There are several ways that you can store wine but without doubt the best and easiest for most people is in a wine rack. It’s the best way to ensure that your wine is safe when stored – even for a short period of time. Of course you must always ensure that your stored wine has the right conditions in order to mature properly, and these include the right temperature, light condition, humidity, and movement.

Remember the most important factor when choosing a wine rack : you need one that will store your wine properly. It can be the most beautiful looking system in the world but unless it stores the wine in the right conditions it is useless.

There are an increasing number of styles to choose from such as wall mounts, side mounts and stack systems plus each of these come in many different sizes starting from as few as three bottles (though I believe there are some racks built to showcase a single bottle of very special wine) right up to literally hundreds.

Just remember that the perfect rack for you depends on your individual needs and your available space so don’t be seduced by the latest design that looks great but in reality is incorrectly shaped for your cellar or kitchen.

Horizontal wine racks are still among the best choice for most people. Despite all the fuss about vertical racks they really aren’t a good choice for storing wine - and there is a very good reason why.

Quite simply in vertical racks the bottle itself is stored vertically which means that over time the cork will dry out and start to shrink and this brings air into the wine which ruins it. Alternatively vertical racks are fine for storing wines for short time periods but if you are laying a bottle down for more than a month or so then you really need a horizontal system.

As with vertical racks there are good reasons to also avoid tilted racks. As well as drying out the corks they can also lead to the sediment being deposited too close to the cork – another good reason for recommending horizontal racks. With horizontal racks the sediment will fall towards the side of the bottle, preventing any spillage when you pop the cork. Furthermore don’t forget you can also add more racks to a horizontal system and grow along with your collection without any problems.

The two main materials used for wine racks are wood or metal. Metal racks are the strongest while wood is a bit more flexible and some people also think wood is more visually pleasing and a bit more durable. And no matter what material you go with you have a choice of placements with your racks – you can mount them on a wall, hang them from the ceiling or simply place them on the floor.

A wine rack or storage system is a great investment for anyone who really enjoys and appreciates everyday bottles of wine as well as fine wines. Nowadays they are relatively cheap and come in various sizes to suit all kitchens and cellars, both for domestic and commercial use.

A good rack can keep your wine stored in tip top condition for years to come but just make sure the conditions in the storage room are also correct so you are able to enjoy that special bottle when the time comes to finally open it.

Fraser Neilson is webmaster at FairWine.com and a graduate of the Wines and Spirits Education Trust. You can find some great wine resources and special offers to help improve your enjoyment of wine at his site.

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