The keys to aging wine are few and simple; keep it in cool, dark, and still surroundings. You can say that wine is like an unruly teenager, it needs to be left alone in its room for a while to reach maturity.
The bottle should be stored on its side, this allows the cork to stay in contact with the wine, keeping it from getting dry and shrinking. If it does begin to shrink, oxygen, the natural enemy of aging wine can seep in and destroy your sacred liquid through something called oxidation (think brown apple). And the aromas, flavors and color will all begin to spoil.
I’m sure you've noticed that most wines come in dark bottles, with UV filters incorporated directly into the glass, to offer the sensitive wine protection from light.
It seems that a popular place for people to store wine is above their refrigerator, maybe because it’s conveniently out of the way, maybe because wine racks fit nicely there. Do Don’t do it. That’s tantamount to leaving cheese in direct sunlight. The constant vibration of the refrigerator will destroy your wine quicker than God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
Now assuming most of us don’t have dungeons or underground cellars in our apartments or homes, basements are your next best option since they typically meet the cool and dark requirements. If you don’t have a basement then just keep the bottles in a cool closet out of sunlight.
Let us know in a couple of years how it went!
