You don't need a state of the art cellar to store your wine, however to experience wine at its best, it is very important to store the wine in the right way.
BUY YOUR WINE FROM A REPUTABLE VENDOR
Before getting started, it's important to highlight that you must make sure you purchase wines from a reputable retailer or store which has good wine storage facilities.
At Khalaf Stores, when it comes to storage you can always be rest assured. We get all our wines directly from our partners; the wine producers themselves (not through third party merchants). We always ensure our wines are shipped using temperature controlled containers when transporting to Jordan, which keeps the wines at the right temperature and environment on its journey home.
Once the wines arrive in Jordan, we immediately transfer them to our warehouse facilities, which includes an entire section specifically for wine storage - with state of the art temperature controlled facilities; maintaining the right temperature all year round. As for those wines that are a little more sensitive and have older vintages; we store them in a private cellar, which is located within the main warehouse. This private cellar is not only temperature controlled, but also humidity controlled to ensure you receive your wine at the perfect condition.
STORING YOUR WINES AT HOME
After you purchase a wine, be it from Khalaf Wines directly or through a store, you need to treat the wine with love and care for it to stay in the perfect condition when you decide to drink it. Since many of you don't have a wine cellar at home nor a wine fridge - here are some points you should look for to ensure your wines are stored in the right way at your house.
Temperature: The ideal temperature to store all wines is between 16°C and 18°C. If you don't have a cellar or wine fridge at home, look for a room in your house that tends to have a steady cooler environment. Obviously, you can put your wine in the fridge for serving, however if you're storing the wine never store it in the fridge (especially for the long term) as it's too cold. Also, avoid rooms such as the kitchen where it's too warm and the temperature is always fluctuating.
Store Wines Horizontally and not standing up vertically. The reason for that is that the majority of wines are sealed with a cork. If a wine is stored vertically for a long period of time, the cork will dry off and will eventually shrink or crack - which exposes the wine to oxygen (leading to an oxidised wine - losing all the flavours). Storing a wine horizontally is best as it keeps the wine in contact with the cork (moisture leads to expansion of cork - i.e. ensures the bottle stays sealed and protected).
Humidity: Try storing a wine in a place with high humidity. Storing a wine in an area with low humidity may dry the cork. By now, you should know what that means: dry cork > shrinking of cork > oxygen entering the bottle > oxidised wine.
Lighting: Protect wines from light and try to store your wine in a place where it's not exposed to direct sunlight (i.e. away from a window) as UV rays can ruin the wine's flavours and aromas. Even though artificial lighting may not have the same effect as direct sunlight, try to store the wine in a room that's not used often (i.e. where lights are mostly switched off).
Vibrations: Avoid storing the wine in a room that has constant vibrations (for example, near a washing machine) as this may disturb sediments in the bottle, disrupting the delicate process that causes a wine to age.