Attention wine enthusiasts and tequila aficionados alike! As we gear up to celebrate National Tequila Day, there's no better time to delve into the world of wine care. Yes, we know tequila isn’t exactly wine but actually liquor distilled from the heart of the blue agave plant. But you’ve got to admit, spirits like tequila and gin are relatively easier to store than wine, and you’ll still need wineglasses for them so… time to educate ourselves on storage tips for wine ware.

Whether you're a seasoned connoisseur or a casual sipper, properly storing your precious wine bottles and wine glasses is essential to maintain their quality and ensure every glass is as enjoyable as the first. So, let's raise a glass together and explore the must-know cleaning and storage tips that will keep your wine at its best and your wine glasses chip-free!

THE ART OF WINE GLASS STORAGE AND CARE

It’d be a complete nightmare to have guests over, and when you pull out your wine glasses, they are cloudy, splotchy, and far from smelling fresh. Proper wine glass storage and cleaning is an art that, when mastered, ensures you never miss whenever you pull out a glass. With good care, your wine glasses will always look elegant and never detract from the taste of the wine.

1. Utilize Proper Wine Glass Racks

A proper wineglass rack is the best option for storing your wineglasses as it enables them to get adequate ventilation. It prevents your glasses from becoming musty, cloudy, or developing an odor. It also reduces the risk of breakage by ensuring that your wine ware is properly spaced to prevent clinking and chipping. 

No matter where you store your wine glasses, ensure they are evenly spaced out and arranged in an orderly fashion. If your wine glasses are packed tightly, they can clink against each other, causing scratching and chipping. It is also essential to keep them upright on their bases instead of upside down. This is to protect the delicate rim from possible damage. But if you have to store them upside down, you have to invest in sturdy racks made for that purpose.

2. Practice Gentle Hand-washing Techniques

Technology has one primary purpose, to make our lives easier. The advent of dishwashers has made tidying up dishes really quick. But you’ll have to avoid dishwashers when it comes to your delicate wine glasses, even the experts think so. 

However, some sturdy wine glasses are safe to wash in the dishwasher. In that case, you’ll have to wash the glasses in an upside-down position, preferably on the upper rack without other dishes. Ensure to space them correctly, use dish soap and Rinse-Aid, then air-dry.

Although using a dishwasher might seem convenient, hand-washing wine glasses are the way to go, especially if they are made of crystal. To wash your wine glasses properly, you need to take note of a few things:

1. Wash with mildly hot or lukewarm water alone. If you must use soap, ensure it’s mild and unscented.
2. Wash with your hand. If you must use a sponge, use a very soft one or a cloth instead.
3. Never hold the glass by the stem or base while washing. Hold it by the bowl instead.
4. Rinse with cold water.
5. Hand-dry with a soft, lint-free towel or air-dry upside down.

3. Always Be Mindful While Handling

You need to be careful when handling wine glasses. Rough handling can easily lead to chipping and breakage. Always grip your wineglass from the stem when drinking. This keeps the wine inside the glass at the right temperature and prevents it from slipping out of your hands. 

When clinking your glass during a toast, you might get excited and be tempted to do it forcefully. That is a recipe for breakage! Avoid clinking with the rim of your glass because that is the most fragile part. Instead, clink the bell of your wineglass with the bell of the other person’s glass, as this is the strongest part of the glass (the bell is the big, round part of the bowl). 

STORING WINE BOTTLES THE RIGHT WAY

No matter how small or vast your wine collection is, learning to store your wine bottle is very important. Your wine bottle storage plays a huge role in preserving wine quality. There are a few rules that you must abide by to ensure that the taste of your wine is not compromised.

1. Horizontal Wine Storage

You might have seen a wine cellar with horizontal wine storage a time or two, whether in real life or a movie. That is for more than just the aesthetics. You need to keep your wine in a horizontal position when storing it. This is so that the wine will always maintain contact with the cork and keep it moist. If the cork is allowed to dry out, air can seep into the bottle, oxidate the wine, and affect its taste.

2. Optimal Temperature and Humidity

Wine storage temperature is a very important factor in the preservation of wine quality. The optimum temperature for storing wine is 45°F and 65°F (7°C to 18°C). This temperature will allow your wine to age well. Storing your wine in extreme temperatures can ruin its taste. 

Wine storage humidity is also essential. Extreme humidity is a guaranteed way to lower the quality of your wine because high humidity degrades the wine, while low humidity dries out the cork and allows air to seep into the wine. Store your wine in a location with a humidity of 50%-80% or install a dehumidifier.

3. Shielding from Light

Wine bottles are primarily dark in color, which is the manufacturer’s way of protecting the wine from light. UV rays can cause premature aging of your wine. Also, temperature fluctuations from exposure to direct sunlight can affect the temperature of the wine and its taste.

There is a reason why wines are stored in cellars. Store your wine in a dark cabinet, away from bright light, whether it’s from the sun or your household lighting.

4. Minimal Movement

Many sensitive processes are going on inside the wine bottle that allows your wine to age wonderfully. The constant movement of the wine bottles from one location to another can affect these processes. Wine storage vibrations can also affect these processes adversely, leading to a reduction in quality. 

Avoid moving your wine bottles from one location to another. Leave the wine to sit and simmer, and you’ll be more than pleased with the result. Keep your wine bottles away from vibrating surfaces such as your washing machine, fridge, dishwasher, dryer, TV, etc. 

5. Wine Location and Smells

You need to ensure your storage location is void of any odors. This is because of the phenomenon of wine odor absorption. The cork of your wine bottles has the ability to absorb strong smells such as mold and cleaning chemicals, and it transmits them to your wine. This can cause your wine to taste and possibly smell weird and funky.

Your wine storage location is also crucial. For your storage location to positively impact the quality of your wine, it needs to check a few boxes:

1. Is the storage temperature perfect?
2. Is the humidity just right?
3. Is the location void of any sort of vibrations?
4. Is it convenient?
5. Is it dark? Does it protect the bottles from light?
6. Is it void of any odors?

There are only a few places that check all these boxes. One is a wine cellar, and another is a wine fridge. If you are a wine enthusiast, you won’t regret investing in either.

CONCLUSION

On this National Tequila Day, let's toast to not only the joys of tequila but also the timeless pleasures of wine. By implementing these essential cleaning and storage tips for your wine glasses and wine bottles, you can ensure that every sip is as delightful as the first. So, remember to handle your wine glasses with care, invest in proper storage solutions, and create an environment that allows your wine bottles to age gracefully.

And on that note, let’s make a toast. Cheers to a lifetime of memorable moments with your favorite wines! (don’t forget to clink with the bell of your glass 😊)