Although many consumers buy wines and consume them within the next 24 hours or so, there are those who purchase wines for long-term storage purposes. Proper wine storage is an essential element in the process of long-term wine aging and it involves certain conditions which will help improve the quality and taste of wines.

There are four vital factors to consider in wine aging and these are temperature, humidity, light and vibration. Whether your wines are stored at a specialty wine storage facility or at your home-based wine cellar, these factors have to be carefully considered because of their pronounced effects on wine.

Wines are sensitive to temperature changes so it is important to control the storage temperature during aging. Ideal wine storage temperature is between 55 degrees to 57 degrees Fahrenheit.

If the temperature inside a wine room is too low, this may cause the wine to freeze and expand and force the cork out, allowing oxygen to enter the bottle and cause oxidative changes on wine. If the storage temperature is too high, it may cause the wine to develop an "off" taste which others define as "cooked."

Temperature fluctuations also affect wine aging. Exposure of wines to varying temperature ranges, such as when they are frequently transferred from a warm environment to a cool refrigerator or wine cellar and vise versa, can cause undesirable chemical reactions.

Humidity is another factor to consider. Most experts in wine say that the ideal relative humidity or amount of moisture in the air is 55% to 65%. This humidity level helps preserve moisture in corks and prevents them from drying out over time.

Why is it necessary to preserve moisture in corks? It's because we don't want to allow oxygen to seep through dried corks and cause harmful oxidation in wines. This is one of the reasons why experts would not recommend refrigerators for wine storage as they usually involve dehumidifying processes.

But too high humidity levels is also not good since it can potentially damage wine labels, making them unreadable and your wine not ideal for a possible resale.

Light should also be taken into consideration even though different wines have different sensitivity levels to it. White wines are more susceptible to light compared to red wines and this is the reason why most white wines are sold in tinted wine bottles.

When wine is exposed to a direct light such as that from sunlight or light bulbs, some chemical compounds in wine are altered and consequently change the wine's feel, color and taste. Thus it is crucial to avoid exposure of wines to a direct light source.

Lastly, vibration also has a harsh effect on wine. Although there is not enough data to directly associate vibration with specific harmful effects that occur in wines, it is believed to cause a significant disturbance or hasten the aging process, which should ideally occur in a gradual manner.

Most experts in wine storage would recommend a climate controlled wine room where a wine cellar cooling system is installed to make sure that ideal temperature and humidity levels are maintained and that vibration and lighting are easily controlled. There are a lot of trusted wine cellar designers and wine cooling systems manufacturers who can help you plan for your long-term wine storage.