Chances are if you’re bringing home a bottle or two of Patterson Cellars wine you are enjoying it with friends and family not long after it makes it through your door! And that’s great! Wine is meant to be enjoyed and shared, paired with great food and cataloged in your memory long after the last sip. But if you find yourself wanting to lay down a few bottles for the future, it’s best to follow a few simple steps to make sure your favorite bottle ages gracefully. We’ve put together a few tricks of the trade for you to keep your investment safe for years to come… if you can wait that long…
Consistent cool temperature is key! Ideally, between 45° F and 65° F.
Consistent humidity should be kept in mind if you live in a particularly dry climate or a very moist one. Think about your cork here… if it’s too dry, the cork will dry out too much, and if it’s too humid it could swell. Either one of these scenarios can be problematic for wine.
Keep your bottles away from light. The darker the better! Any UV exposure can cause your wine to prematurely age.
Most bottles should be stored on their sides, but our winemaker suggests keeping sparkling upright, because like still whites, sparkling generally doesn’t benefit from much age once it’s been disgorged.
Patterson Cellars Reds are ready for your glass now, or can be aged for up to 5-7 years.
Enjoy Patterson Whites and Rosés within a year or 2 of the vintage date.
So now you’re probably thinking “where can I keep my wine that will meet all of these standards?”… If you don’t have a wine cellar, find a closet that stays relatively consistent in temperature throughout the year, look for similar conditions in your basement, or maybe even invest in a wine fridge. At the very least, don’t keep bottles on your sunny kitchen counter next to the stove, and you should be just fine! Keeping your wine tucked away somewhere cool and dark is not only a great way to help it age properly, but it also keeps it out of sight, which may in turn reduce your changes of drinking it before your desired date!
So come visit us in any of our four tasting rooms to gather some bottles for now or for later. Either way, we know you'll find something you love!