Cellaring wine; how to store that Capel Vale beauty!

Wine storage after bottling is essential in preserving the wine and being able to experience it at its full potential. If wine is stored incorrectly, often the flavour and aroma of the wine becomes affected.

What are the advantages of cellaring?

Cellaring may have varying benefits depending on the type of wine. Some wines are best consumed on release, around 1-2 years after production. For example, our Cellar Exclusive Sparkling Sassy is ready to be consumed once it has been disgorged as the wine is considered to be at its prime. Our Regional Series Pemberton Chardonnay however is a white wine that can be enjoyed both in the early stages of its life for the fresh, crisp stone fruit characters however with bottle age can develop in complexity. Dependent on the style of red wine produced these wines can be opened immediately or may benefit from further cellaring. For example, Capel Vale's Debut Shiraz is crafted to be enjoyed on release whereas the Whispering Hill Mount Barker Shiraz has superb tannin, acidity and structure to be stored for 10 years or more in correct cellaring conditions.

Where to store my wine?

Wine storage is an important factor in determining the life and quality of your wine. The following factors should be considered:

Temperature
Temperature control and stability are essential in preserving your wine, and should be stored between 12-15°C, with a relative humidity of 65-75%. This is the single most damaging factor to wine when cellaring.

Capel Vale Winery & Restaurant stores all wines in temperature controlled warehouses ensuring that when the wine is purchased via cellar door or the restaurant you can be assured that it is in the best possible condition. Purchasing wine from cellar door makes a very smart decision when this factor is considered.

Darkness
Wine is ideally stored in darker conditions, as excessive light can lead to premature aging.

Vibrations
Continuous movement caused by vibrations can spoil the wine as the sediment is unable to settle to the bottom of the bottle. Therefore, it is a good idea not to store wine on top of the fridge.

Storage
Corked wine should be stored on its side, slightly tilted upwards. This is necessary to keep the cork moist so as to ensure that it does not dry out. Screw cap lids however, are able to be stored standing upright. Capel Vale uses the StelvinLux seal for its range of wines, and there have been numerous recognised advantages to this type of wine seal, see this link for more detail