How to Store White Wine for Optimal Enjoyment
Updated
Same wine, same cork, one year, two cellars. Díaz-Maroto and colleagues, publishing in Molecules in 2021, kept a 2018 Verdejo in darkness at 12°C and in clear glass under cyclic LED light at 24°C. The cool, dark bottles finished the year with sensory profiles similar to wine before bottling. The warm, lit ones browned and picked up ripened fruit and kerosene, and the panel marked their aftertaste down.
How to store white wine is four numbers and one habit. Hold it between 12 and 15°C and hold it steady. The Australian Wine Research Institute's technical note on heat and light carries the recommendation that bottled wine sit "in a cool (15-20°C), dry location". Octavian, which stores fine wine commercially in a Wiltshire stone mine, runs at 13 degrees, according to The Buyer. Keep humidity near 80%, Octavian's published figure, so a natural cork stays wet. Keep it dark: white wine in clear glass developed a lightstruck fault after 3.3 hours under fluorescent lamps in Dozon and Noble's trial, against 31.1 hours for the same wine in green glass, as reported by AWRI Technical Note TN09. Lay corked bottles down. Then, after you open it, re-seal the bottle, put it in the fridge and drink it inside a few days. The oxidation clock starts at the first pour and does not stop.
What temperature should you store white wine at?
Store white wine at a constant temperature between 10 and 15°C.
Most experts, including Jancis Robinson, recommend keeping wine at constant temperatures between 10 and 15°C (50 and 59°F). Tom Stevenson speculates that 11°C (52°F) may be the most ideal temperature for storage and ageing. Karen MacNeil recommends keeping wine intended for ageing in a cool area with a constant temperature around 13°C (55°F). The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) recommends that bottled wine be stored "in a cool (15-20°C), dry location", as cited in AWRI Technical Note TN09.
Warmer temperatures accelerate ageing and can cause faults. Marais observed the development of faulty flavours and decreasing overall quality after 12 months' storage of wine at 30°C, as reported by the AWRI. Temperatures in excess of 40°C will induce visual and sensory changes to a wine in only a matter of days, Ough found, as cited by the AWRI. Ough further states that In general, any storage place where the temperature exceeds 25°C for long periods and 40°C for short periods can affect wine quality, according to the AWRI. Wine exposed to temperatures above 25°C (77°F) for long periods may be spoiled or become corked and develop off-flavours that taste raisiny or stewed.
The AWRI advises against thermal cycling, where the temperature varies significantly, citing Hirlam (2019a,b). Leakage of wine or movement of cork stoppers can result from exposure to significantly greater temperatures than ambient. We also note that temperature swings can cause adverse chemical reactions.
Chanut et al. studied the effect of temperature on oxygen transfer through cork stoppers, publishing in PNAS Nexus in 2023. They used microagglomerated corks in model wine, stored horizontally:
| Storage Temperature | Duration of Stable Oxygen Barrier Properties | Observation |
|---|---|---|
| 20°C | 24 months | Oxygen barrier properties remained unchanged. |
| 35°C | Up to 9 months | Beyond 9 months, a sharp increase in total oxygen diffusion coefficient was observed, indicating significant transfer at the glass-stopper interface. |
| 50°C | Within the first 3 months | A tremendous oxygen transfer occurred at the glass-cork interface, approaching the diffusion coefficient of oxygen in the air, indicating leakage. |
The study by Chanut et al. suggests that high storage temperatures, such as 35°C and 50°C, can lead to a partial melting of the surface treatment agent on the cork stopper. They can also modify the stopper's mechanical properties. Either change promotes oxygen transfer at the glass-cork interface. They note that 35°C is easily reached during bottle shipping.
Prolonged storage in a refrigerator could adversely affect wine quality, because of vibrations from the compressor. On that mechanism, the AWRI has been "unable to find any literature on this subject". Tom Stevenson, cited, recommends against keeping wine in a refrigerator because the refrigeration process often includes dehumidifying, which can quickly dry out corks.
How much humidity does white wine need?
Maintain high and constant humidity, ideally between 60% and 80%, to prevent corks from drying out.
The Comité Champagne recommends that humidity "must be high and constant, between 60% and 80". Octavian, a commercial fine wine storage facility, runs at 80% humidity. Some degree of humidity is required to keep wines with cork enclosures from drying out. If a cork dries out, it can allow oxygen to enter the bottle, filling the ullage space and potentially causing the wine to spoil or oxidize. Climate Controlled Wine Storage maintains moderate humidity levels (55%-75%).
However, excessive humidity can damage wine labels, hindering identification or hurting potential resale value. Chanut et al. (2023) note that cork-based closures need a relative humidity above 50% for good elasticity. They add that a relative humidity above 80% has been found to increase the risk of mildew formation on the outer surface of cork.
How does light affect white wine?
Keep white wine in darkness, as light exposure can quickly lead to "lightstruck" flavour and other faults.
Direct sunlight or incandescent light can adversely react with phenolic compounds in wine and create "wine faults". Light-bodied white wines run the greatest risk from light exposure and are often packaged in tinted wine bottles for protection. Wines in clear, light green, and blue bottles are the most vulnerable and may need extra storage precautions.
AWRI Technical Note TN09 reports that Dozon and Noble (1989) found a statistically significant lightstruck flavour after 31.1 hours. That trial exposed still white wines in green glass to fluorescent lamps. The same wines stored in clear glass developed a statistically significant level of the off-flavour after only 3.3 hours. Sensory assessment of these wines indicated a decrease in "citrus" aromas and an increase in "cooked cabbage", "corn", "wet wool/wet dog", and "soy/marmite" aromas.
The AWRI also highlights that direct sunlight provides 4286 times the amount of UV-A radiation as fluorescent lamps. That makes exposure to sunlight "more deleterious to wine quality than exposure to electric lighting systems". Furthermore, light exposure can exacerbate copper instability in susceptible white wines, leading to haze. The AWRI recommends that white wines containing a copper concentration greater than approximately 0.5 mg/L are likely to be susceptible to copper haze. Rankine (1989), cited by AWRI Technical Note TN09, indicates that amber glass is most effective in excluding wavelengths below about 450 nm.
For wines known to be susceptible to issues like white Burgundy premox risk or those with specific Riesling ageing windows, careful light management is especially important.
Should you store white wine bottles upright or on their side?
For most white wines with natural corks, store them on their side to keep the cork moist. For Champagne and other sparkling wines, storing them upright may be beneficial.
Most wine racks are designed to allow wine to be stored on its side. The intention is to keep the cork moist through constant contact with the wine. If a cork dries out, it can allow oxygen to enter the bottle, affecting the wine's quality. This relates to maintaining appropriate wine ullage levels explained.
However, research on bottle orientation has yielded mixed results:
| Wine Type / Context | Closure Type | Orientation Effect | Duration | Key Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White wine | Agglomerated corks | Upright samples showed higher yellow/brown colour and elevated acetaldehyde levels | 24 months | Upright storage led to higher oxidation indicators in white wine. |
| Wooded Chardonnay, Riesling | Not specified | Little effect on chemical composition and sensory properties | 60 months | Orientation had little effect on these specific white wines. |
| Model wine | Microagglomerated corks | No significant influence on oxygen transfer through cork or glass-cork interface | 24 months | Storage position did not impact oxygen transfer at 20°C. |
| Not specified | Different stoppers | No significant effect on oxygen transfer | 24 or 36 months | Storage position did not significantly affect oxygen transfer. |
| Not specified | Microagglomerated stoppers | Similar oxygen transmission rate (OTR) | Not specified | Similar OTR for vertical or horizontal storage. |
| Champagne, sparkling | Not specified | Upright recommended | Not specified | Internal pressure provides humidity, protecting cork from drying. |
| Champagne | Cork | On side aged more quickly | Not specified | CIVC study found oxygen seepage after corks lost elasticity. |
| Champagne | Not specified | Upright or on sides | Several years | Champagne bottles can be stored either way. |
For Champagne and other sparkling wines that they tend to age better if kept upright. This is because the internal pressure from the trapped carbonic gas provides enough humidity and protection from oxygen. Caterer Magazine, cited, claims that the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) shares this preference. Its study found Champagne stored on its side aged more quickly, because oxygen seeped in after corks lost elasticity due to contact with the wine. However, the Comité Champagne itself states that bottles "can be stored upright or on their sides".
For a comprehensive approach to storage, consider reviewing our general guide on how to store wine.
How long can you keep white wine after opening?
Once opened, a white wine bottle will not keep for long, even with proper re-sealing and refrigeration.
The Comité Champagne advises that once opened, a bottle won't keep for long. To preserve an opened bottle, seal it using a stopper cap and then place it in a cool place, such as a refrigerator. The Comité Champagne explicitly states that putting a spoon in the neck of a Champagne bottle is not true at all for preservation.
For still white wines, the oxidation process begins immediately upon opening. While re-sealing and refrigeration can slow this process, they do not stop it. Some wine preservation and dispensing systems use nitrogen gas to prevent wine from oxidation and premature spoilage.
Knowing when to open a bottle is what lets you enjoy it at its peak. That holds whether the wine comes from the Burgundy producer atlas or the Mosel producer atlas. You can also explore wines entering their drinking window on our live fine wine market index.