Honestly, there are probably two extremes here. Firstly, if you’ve bought a bottle of port to drink from the supermarket. Keep it in a cool, dry cupboard away from sunlight until you’re ready to open it. Remember, once it’s open it won’t keep forever, so make sure you know how long your bottle of port will last.
The second extreme is if you’re buying expensive bottles and plan to keep them for a long time to increase in flavour or value. In this case, a simple cupboard probably won’t do.
To ensure that port wine remains fresh and of high quality, it is important to store it properly. Here are some tips for storing port wine:
- Temperature: Store port wine in a cool, dark place, away from light and heat. Ideal storage temperature is around 15°C (or between 55 and 60°F).
- Humidity: Maintain a relative humidity level of around 70% to prevent the wine from becoming too dry and to prevent the cork from drying out.
- Light: Protect port wine from light, especially direct sunlight, which can cause the wine to spoil or fade in colour.
- Vibration: Avoid storing port wine in areas where it may be exposed to vibration, as this can cause the wine to become agitated and affect its flavour and quality.
- Position: Store port wine on its side, to keep the cork moist and prevent it from drying out.
- Wine Cellar: If possible, store port wine in a wine cellar or wine fridge, which will provide the ideal temperature, humidity, and lighting conditions for long-term storage.
It’s also important to keep in mind that port wine is a fortified wine, which means that it has a higher alcohol content compared to regular wine. This does make it less susceptible to spoilage, but it’s still important to store it properly to ensure that it remains fresh and of high quality – especially if you have some expensive bottles you wanted to keep for a long time.
