If you enjoy a good red wine or you are just starting to look into it, you probably have lots of questions about how to correctly store it.
All types of wine can be chilled, and in most cases, they should be, but it is important to know that if you leave them in the fridge for too long, it can ruin the flavor.
Red wine is incredibly popular, and many people prefer it to white wine. But usually, red wine follows a bit of a different rule book to white wine, and this has a lot to do with the different kinds of flavoring found in the drink.
But don’t worry, we are here to help! If you are concerned about ruining your red wine by putting it in the fridge, then read on to find out everything you need to know!
Does Putting Red Wine In The Fridge Ruin It?
In short, the answer to this question is no- putting red wine in the fridge will not ruin it. All wine should be chilled in the fridge, the main thing you have to watch out for is how long you keep it in the fridge.
When serving red wine, you ideally want it to be just a little bit cooler than room temperature, so anywhere between 62 to 68 degrees.
Many people do enjoy red wine at room temperature too, but you have to experiment with that for yourself to see if you like it.
The biggest issue with chilling wine is that the longer it is chilled, the less apparent the alcohol becomes. But this isn’t a bad thing! As the alcohol gets toned down, it allows for the other flavors of the red wine to come through.
Is It Okay To Put Red Wine In The Fridge At All?
All wine should be chilled just before you plan on using it, so the best time to store it in the fridge is right before you are about to sit down for your meal.
It really doesn’t need very long to reach the recommended temperature, so you can even put it in the fridge just half an hour before you plan on eating.
Ideally, you don’t want to store it any longer than an hour, and this should be more than enough time for it to chill to the appropriate temperature.
Is It Okay To Put Red Wine In The Fridge For An Extended Period of Time?
It is not recommended that you put red wine in the fridge for an extended period of time. Even if you put an unopened bottle in the fridge for months or even years, it can be quite bad for the wine.
The best way to store red wine that you do not plan on opening for a while is by putting it somewhere cold and dark. This is why lots of people choose to store their red wine (or any wine of any kind really) in a cellar or basement.
You want to make sure that wherever you are storing it, the temperature won’t fluctuate too much.
If you are only storing the wine for a couple of weeks, it’s fine to keep it in the fridge, but it will taste a lot better if you just keep it somewhere naturally cold and dark instead.
If your red wine is already opened, it is important not to store it for very long at all. Once it has been opened, you ideally want to use it up as quickly as possible, because it deteriorates and expires a lot faster once it has been opened.
Room Temperature Is Not Always Reliable
While lots of people will tell you that storing wine at room temperature is the best way to go about it, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, storing it at room temperature can be a bit unreliable, especially if the room is too hot.
Remember, the best temperature to serve red wine is at about 60-68 degrees Fahrenheit, so if the room you are storing it in is much warmer than that, it can ruin the taste of the wine. Again, this is why storing it somewhere cold and dark is so important.
That being said, you can store it at room temperature, but you will have to judge it accordingly and work out where the best place to store it for your taste.
Conclusion
As you now know, storing red wine in the fridge will not ruin it. That being said, it is important that you don’t keep it in the fridge for too long either.
Red wine should be served at a temperature of 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit, and it really doesn’t take too long to get there in the fridge.
When storing your red wine in the fridge, you shouldn’t need longer than an hour!
I can offer you articles and information about wine from a seasoned sommelier, and now a winemaker too! I hope that you enjoy some of our articles, and start thinking outside of the box when it comes to wine.
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